Hidden Within
by Angel10242
Summary: Set post DH… Hermione Granger, top Hogwarts pupil, is caught in a deserted classroom unable to cast a basic spell. Her final year at Hogwarts is not turning out as she had planned... Luckily help comes from an unexpected source.
1. Chapter One

As you would expect from a bit of fan fiction, I own nothing, and make no money from this.

Takes place post-DH, with a few obvious deviations from canon… Also, please note this fiction is rated M as it contains mature themes. I won't be posting individual chapter warnings, so please don't read if you are underage.

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><p>Severus Snape, Potions Master, former Headmaster and current Defence against the Dark Arts Professor of Hogwarts School, was on his way to the Owlery. As was his habit, he walked silently and kept to the shadows, even though the halls were empty at that late hour. His mind was on the Apothecary's order he was posting, debating internally on whether he should have ordered an extra weight of newt's eyes for his private stores. As he strode down the hallway he heard something out of place. At first he dismissed the noise as one of those you inevitably got on quiet corridors in old buildings with many occupants, but he soon identified the sound as a female student's voice and… one close to tears. The Professor sighed. He had plans for the rest of the evening and didn't want to get caught up in whatever teenage melodrama the child was undoubtably involved in. It didn't bode well if she was hiding in such an out of the way part of the castle, whoever she was.<p>

'_I wonder if I can get away with just pretending I didn't hear for once?'_ he thought disgruntledly, scowling as he recalled how much time he'd spent awkwardly attempting to comfort teary Slytherins that year. The war might be over but it had cast a long shadow, especially in his own house. Almost all the children had lost someone in battle or in the buildup to it, on both sides. The Dark Lord had been particularly unforgiving of those he considered traitors to his cause who had ties to the House of Snakes and many a Slytherin's family had become victims to the Death Eaters when they refused to join.

Despite his misgivings, the Professor detoured from his path to find the child - '_no doubt homesick or suffering from some kind of teenage heartbreak,_' he thought with his customary sneer firmly in place. If it was one of his House, she would be gently chivvied into returning to the common room with a suggestion to seek out one of his more trusted seventh year Prefects known for her patience with the younger crowd. If they were from another house he'd deal with them in pretty much the same way, only with more sarcasm, less sympathy, and definitely a substantial point loss from the offending house.

The corridor he was on was one with several abandoned classrooms. The first door he tried was locked, the second opened to a dusty room filled with broken desks. It was the next that provided him with the culprit. Hearing the voice again as he approached the third room, he cast a silencing spell on himself before opening the door and gliding in. Again, the place was clearly no longer in use, with old furniture stacked up against the walls. In the middle of the room there was a girl sitting on the dusty floor surrounded by hovering blue flames in bubbles, illuminating her as she tried to cast a spell again and again, banging her fist on the floor in frustration when it didn't work.

Snape had just drawn breath ready to lift the spell keeping his presence from the girl so he could berate her properly for interrupting his evening when he realised exactly who it was sitting on the stone floor - none other than the female member of the golden trio herself, Hermione Granger. He paused before revealing himself, keen to know what spell the Gryffindor know-it-all was having trouble with.

"Percuro" She shouted, pointing her wand to her left wrist. "Work, dammit, why won't you work?"

The Professor could see that Hermione had tears pouring down her face as she tried to get the spell to work. But still he held back from revealing himself, somewhat confused. '_Percuro is a basic healing spell, third year stuff. Why does she need it, and why on earth is Granger, highest rated student in this school, having problems casting it?'_ he mused.

He watched her for a moment or so longer, curious to see what type of injury she was trying to heal. Unable to see, he quickly tired of hiding and stepped out, cancelling the silencing spell as he did.

Hermione heard a footstep from behind her and swung around, jumping to her feet with her wand out - instantly alert and battle ready.

"Miss Granger, I _do_ hope you aren't intending to hex a teacher," drawled Snape as he stepped further into the room and towards her. "The point loss for attempting to do so would be…" he paused theatrically, "…_considerable."_

Seeing her DADA Professor in front of her, Hermione relaxed her stance and lowered her wand slightly, although the wary expression on her face didn't change.

"Professor Snape," She greeted him cautiously.

"Granger, what exactly are you doing in this part of the castle so late at night? It is almost curfew and you are a long way from the Gryffindor dorms."

"I, uh," Hermione stalled, trying to think of a good excuse for her presence. Nothing came instantly to mind - she was trapped. Feeling defeated, Hermione's shoulders slumped and she looked down at the floor and with a quiet voice apologised. "I'm sorry Sir, I'll go straight back to my room now."

Snape frowned again. No brash justifications? No instant answer from the know-it-all as to why it was _completely essential_ she was in the deserted classroom and how he couldn't possibly take points. The work they had done for the Order after the battle - countless hours brewing healing potions and strengthening draughts together in his lab after he had recovered from that blasted snake bite - had promoted a slightly more familiar relationship than teacher-student. That she was being so formal with him was in itself an oddity. Much to his disgust, a tendril of worry snaked through his mind. Something wasn't right with Miss Granger.

Still, it wouldn't do to show her that, so he kept a stern expression on his face. "Come now, Granger," he said brusquely, "I'll walk you back. I wouldn't want you to get lost on your way and end up somewhere else you aren't supposed to be," he added with a half-hearted sneer, more out of habit than anything else.

Professor Snape walked to the door and opened it, indicating to Hermione to exit in front of him. Severus happened to glance down at her just as she walked through and narrowed his eyes. He had caught a glimpse of her left wrist… which was dark with bruises.

-o0o-

As they walked back through the castle, both were silent, each deep in thought. Eventually Snape spoke.

"Granger, I couldn't help but hear you were casting a healing spell. Should we be heading to the infirmary rather than your dorm?"

Hermione looked up at him, her face pale and her eyes wide with poorly disguised emotion. "No Sir," she replied, "It's nothing, really. I was just… practicing." She said lamely, knowing full well he would see straight through her.

"Practicing?" Snape sneered, "After a year spent camping with your two miscreant friends I find it hard to believe you need any practice for basic healing spells."

Hermione smiled briefly in acknowledgement. "I had a very good book with me with a wide variety of healing spells and general first aid, and yes we did end up using almost all of them at some point." She added conversationally, "Although I'm sure you would be the last person to be surprised at how much trouble Harry and Ron can get into simply by being alive. I swear some days all they had to do was stand up and someone got hurt."

Although Severus showed disapproval at the conversation inwardly he was pleased that she was opening up. Now perhaps he could find out what was going on.

"So why then, Miss Granger, did you need to practice this evening? Perhaps you could tell me the truth this time?"

At this her smile fell and she looked down at the floor again. "It wouldn't work for me." She told him in a near whisper. "I can't get my magic to work."

Snape thought back to where he had found her. "You can cast flames though? You were surrounded by them. So it isn't all spells?"

"No Sir, the basics seem to be okay. I think I might just be tired Sir"

The Professor allowed them to continue in silence, waiting to see if she would elaborate further. Sure enough, before they reached the next staircase she cautiously spoke again.

"Professor?"

"Yes, Granger?"

"Could you… could you help me please?"

He paused and looked down at her, raising one eyebrow in inquiry.

Hermione spoke in a rush, "The reason why I was casting was because I, uh, I caught my hand in a door earlier and hurt it. I don't want to bother Madam Pomfrey for something so minor. Would you mind?"

With a long-suffering sigh, the Professor capitulated. He knew something didn't add up with what she was telling him, but it was late and he still had his letter to owl. He stopped in the corridor and indicated to Hermione to stand and face him. With a quick wave of his wand he silently cast a quick diagnostic spell over her, more out of habit than anything else before preparing to cast a localised healing spell.

The results were not what he'd expected.

With a gasp he unthinkingly grabbed her extended hand and she shrieked with pain, unable to suppress it.

"Granger!" He admonished as she pulled her hand away and cradled the wrist protectively in her other hand.

"I'm sorry Professor," she replied, holding her hand out again. "I'll be quiet, I promise."

_'What? She thinks I'm angry with her for making a noise when in pain?' _"Granger, don't been an idiot. What do you think I am? I'm not telling you off for that. What in Merlins name did you do? Throw yourself down a flight of stairs? I can only assume given your reticence to seek professional care and that half-baked story about a door, that it was while you up to something you shouldn't have been. Not only have you got what looks like two cracked ribs and a bruised and sprained wrist, but your magical reserves are far too low. No wonder you couldn't heal yourself. We are going straight to the infirmary."

And with that he stalked off in the opposite direction to the one they had been heading, clearly expecting Hermione to follow. She cast a longing look at the way to her room, before allowing her shoulders to slump as she turned to walk to the infirmary. It was exactly where she had hoped she wouldn't end up that night.

-o0o-

Snape was waiting for her at the entrance to the infirmary when she finally caught up. He opened the door and once again indicated she was to precede him into the room. Once he had closed the door behind them he range the bell to summon Madam Pomfrey.

"Ah, Severus," she cried in greeting as she appeared from out of her office, "What can I do for you this evening."

"Poppy," He greeted her in return. "You can have a look at Miss Granger for me. I caught her somewhere she shouldn't have been and it appears she's been up to no good. Cracked ribs, bruises, and depleted magic. My guess is that she fell down the stairwell - not that she has admitted such foolishness." With this summary he looked at the girl disapprovingly.

"Don't you worry dear," Madam Pomfrey reassured Hermione as she steered her towards a bed, casting a diagnostic spell as she went. "I'll soon get you back to normal. You won't be the first this term who has ended up here thanks to those blasted moving staircases. I swear when they rebuilt the second floor stairwell after the battle they managed to misalign it completely. Now just you hop up onto that bed and I'll see about a healing draught or two…"

Before Hermione knew it she was tucked up in a bed, dosed up on bone-healing potions and sipping hot cocoa. Snape was still there, leaning against Pomfrey's office door, watching her. He frowned. There was something he was missing - she had given in far too quickly, and he noticed she'd never actually given an explanation for her injuries, merely accepting the supposition she had fallen on the stairs. None of it explained her magic drain either, which would typically be due to severe emotional strain.

'_This can all wait for another day,'_ Snape told himself, _'it's nearly 10pm and I still haven't owled my blasted order. Besides, I know Granger far too well to think she'll tell me what's going on tonight. I'll get it out of her later.'_

He strode over to Hermione's bed and stood by her, towering over her in his most intimidating fashion.

"Miss Granger, I hope I don't find you doing anything as foolish again. I would hate to have to put one of the _golden trio,_" - he sneered at the nickname - "In detention for the rest of the year. Or be forced to take away an excess of house points."

"No Sir, you won't." She agreed, avoiding eye contact and looking contrite.

With a nod he swept away, his robes billowing behind him. He paused in the doorway of the infirmary and turned to face her again.

"You'll join me on Thursday evening to brew?"

For the first time that evening Hermione looked up at him with something akin to her usual expression. "Oh, yes Professor," she replied with enthusiasm, "I'm sure I'll be feeling better by then. It's my turn to choose isn't it?"

He nodded, pleased to see her enthusiasm for their brewing sessions was still there. She had approached him at the start of the year to supervise some extra lab time - Professor Slughorn being unwilling to do anything more than his standard Potions classes - and a one-off had evolved into a weekly event. They took it in turns to choose a potion for her to create which led to some good natured competition to find the most obscure recipes to try. Some were a success, others a distinct failure, but they both enjoyed the process and the debriefs over tea in the corner of the lab afterwards where they discussed possible improvements and potions theory. For Severus it was a chance to mentor a student beyond the syllabus of the NEWTS - something he finally had the time for now he wasn't busy trying to survive whilst spying on Voldemort, or indeed the Order. For Hermione, a chance for one-on-one tuition by a highly skilled Potions Master.

"I'll leave you to rest," Snape said as he turned again to leave, his voice more gentle now.

"Thank you Sir," replied Hermione as she snuggled down in the bed with a yawn.

"Oh, and Miss Granger?"

"Sir?"

"You know I can't let something of this severity this go unpunished… _Five _points from Gryffindor."

As he closed the door he quickly suppressed a grin at the sound of Hermione giggling in her bed at his paltry point-taking. It wouldn't do for the other inhabitants of the castle to know the most feared teacher, the dungeon bat, was capable of a smile, after all.

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><p><strong>AN** - Well there we go, chapter 1! This story will be 12 chapters and an epilogue, and I'll be posting a chapter a week, or sooner if I'm feeling generous.

I've not written anything for a year so feeling a tad rusty… Do drop me a note and tell me what you think of the story as we go. As with most authors on here, I love reviews! Writing is so much more fun with audience participation!

Also, I'm looking for a beta for this story. Anyone interested?


	2. Chapter Two

Hermione woke the next morning feeling deliciously rested. It had been a long while since she'd had a decent night's sleep and the peace in the infirmary (coupled, she suspected, with a mild sleeping draught in her cocoa) had done wonders. Plus she no longer ached as Madam Pomfrey had fixed her ribs, which Hermione knew she always had problems healing herself, even when her spells worked properly. All in all, a far better start than she had expected, helped surprisingly (and somewhat unwittingly) by Professor Snape. Her dread at going to the infirmary had been negated by his comment about the staircase. It had been far better than any excuse she had thought of, and given the Matron's assumptions she was spared having to explain her injuries at all.

Also, to her secret delight, Madam Pomfrey had insisted she stayed in the hospital wing until after lunch that day. Hermione had put up token resistance to missing her morning classes as was expected of her. But really she was just glad of the quiet. She still adored the school and spending her days learning was something close to heaven after the year chasing Horcruxes and hiding from Snatchers. However some days being back in the castle with all the noise of a school combined with the reminders of the final battle was just too much. It was a little less than a year since the end of the war and it was still hard seeing the empty spaces in the Great Hall each morning, remembering those who didn't make it. Whenever it all got too much to bear she escaped for long solitary runs around the lake or hid in a quiet corner of the library with a book.

Hermione got herself out of bed and looked around the empty infirmary. The matron had provided pyjamas the previous night and she noted that the house elves had left a clean uniform for her on the chair by her bed, along with her toothbrush and wash bag. Sweeping up the contents with a grin, she headed off to the bathroom for a much anticipated long hot shower.

-o0o-

When she returned to the ward she was surprised to see both a pile of toast under a heating charm - clearly breakfast - and two visitors in the form of Harry and Ron. She faltered almost imperceptibly before squaring her shoulders and walking to her bed and the two boys.

"You did well, 'Mione," said Ron around a mouthful of her toast as he reached across to kiss her on the cheek, "Usually Pomfrey insists on plain porridge for breakfast."

"_Madam_ Pomfrey likes me," Hermione explained with a small smile and an emphasis on the matron's correct title, "You know I spent weeks brewing for the infirmary last summer."

"Should have known it was to do with extra work." Ron mumbled through toast crumbs, before swiping another slice.

"Haven't you just come from breakfast Ron?" Hermione asked, amused despite herself at his endless appetite.

"Yeah but we left quickly cos we were coming to see you. Anyway, last night we waited up for you but you never came back, so Harry had a look on the Mauraders' map this morning and found you here."

"Are you ok Hermione?" Asked Harry gently, reaching out to touch her arm in support.

"Yeah 'Mione, what did you manage to do to yourself this time? I hope you were't too badly hurt?" added Ron in an overly solicitous way, frowning at Harry's hand. "Did you have your nose in a book at the time? That would be typical."

Hermione replied in an overly bright tone, moving her arm away from Harry self-consciously. "I'm ok thanks you two. It was nothing… I… tripped on my book bag and hurt my wrist. Madam Pomfrey was just being overprotective keeping me here. She says I've got to stay until lunchtime." At this Hermione's voice got higher in frustration, "I don't know why. I feel fine - and I'm going to miss Ancient Runes _and_ my supervised study period."

At that both boys laughed and she giggled in acknowledgement of the typical 'Hermione-ness' of that statement. She climbed back on the bed and the three of them settled in to eating their way through her pile of toast and gossiping on the latest goings on from the common room until the boys noticed the time and rushed off to their first lesson, shouting goodbyes as they left and promising to pick her up on their way to the Great Hall for lunch.

As the door closed behind them her smile faded and she sank back onto the pillows with a sigh.

-o0o-

Hermione pottered away the morning in the infirmary, helping the Matron to tidy her potions cupboard. She'd begged Madam Pomfrey for some light work to do rather than staying in bed, arguing that she wasn't in any pain and the light exercise would enable the nurse to see she was healing ok. It was pleasant - the sun streamed in through the large infirmary windows and the mild herbal scent of potions lingered in the air. For once there were no other patients so the only noise was the soft chink of bottles being placed on the shelf as Hermione dusted them and Madam Pomfrey muttering under her breath as she checked inventory.

Hermione appreciated the quiet. It gave her time to think, and ponder on the previous night. Professor Snape really was the last person she had wanted to see. It was obvious the Professor hadn't believed she had fallen down stairs, or indeed trapped her hand in a door, although he had kept up the facade in front of Pomfrey. '_Did he do it to stop me being questioned further?' _Hermione mused, puzzled. '_That's not like him… usually he's the first to point out a falsehood, especially if there looks to be a story behind it. Damn. Means he is going to be even more tenacious about it when he chooses to raise it,'_ she thought glumly. He'd finally stopped treating her like she was an annoying eleven year old, and Hermione couldn't help but feel this episode would put her squarely back in the 'idiot child' camp.

Her mood fell further when she thought of how she'd ended up battered and bruised in the first place. As a modern young witch Hermione was well aware than covering for _him_ was foolish, and that he was unlikely to change. But still she held back, wanting to give him another chance. He was so sweet the rest of the time. The war had been so hard on them all, after all, surely he deserved the benefit of the doubt? "Least I'm not trying to convince myself it was an accident," she said to herself in mild disgust.

"What was that dear?" Called Madam Pomfrey from her desk.

"Oh, nothing Madam, I was just talking to myself." Hermione shook herself and forced her mind back to the task in front of her. "I think this is just about done now."

The matron bustled over with her inventory scroll in hand. She glanced up at the now pristine, well ordered shelves and hummed in approval before bestowing a smile on Hermione. "I know I shouldn't say such things, but I'm _so_ glad you were sick today, my dear. This cupboard has been the bane of my existence the last few weeks and I've just not had the time to fix it."

Hermione grinned in response, taking no offence at Poppy's comment. "I'm glad to help, Madam. You know I'd much rather be busy than sitting around in bed for no reason."

"Yes, well, about that…" Poppy frowned, "I do know you weren't telling the truth last night Miss Granger. Those bruises around your wrist were not something you'd get falling down the stairs alone. Not to mention the older ones I spotted on your arms. Now, I also know you don't want to tell me what's happened or you would have done so already, and you are of age and a sensible girl to boot. So I'm relying on you to do what you need to do to stop this. I won't push. Yet." Hermione risked a quick glance up at the Matron at this. "But I just want you to know that when you decide you want to talk, there are plenty of people here who would be more than willing to listen, and help if we can. Myself included."

Hermione blushed a bright red in mortification then nodded carefully. "Thank you, Madam Pomfrey, I appreciate your offer."

"Let me be clear Miss Granger, you _must_ get this resolved. If you end up back in here with similar injuries I won't leave it to your discretion a second time before acting myself."

There was a slightly uncomfortable silence as both of them stared ahead at the shelves of neatly ordered bottles before Poppy Pomfrey took a deep breath and continued to discuss inventory as though the previous conversation had never happened. Hermione was grateful for her tact as well as her support, and managed to join in admirably even though her mind was racing. She thought her situation was a secret yet it was clear the Matron had a reasonable idea what was going on, and if she had noticed then it was highly likely others had too. With great effort she forced herself to put those thoughts away until she was back in the privacy of her bed and focussed on the here and now.

All too soon Madam Pomfrey was checking her watch and bustling Hermione off for some final checks on the state of her magical reserves. The night's sleep and low-stress morning appeared to have done their job and Hermione was relieved to see she was almost up to full strength. After taking another restorative draught and promising to return should she take a turn for the worse, she was finally free to leave - just in time for lunch with the rest of the school.

-o0o-

"- So if we use a triple feint, followed by a drive from the left by Ginny, I reckon we can score -" Harry and Ron burst through the door in mid conversation to find Hermione perched on the edge of her bed in the infirmary, swinging her legs and staring unseeing out of the large windows.

"Hermione, you ready?" Harry called out from the doorway and she looked up, gave them a quick smile and jumped down to join them as they walked to lunch.

"Tactics?" She asked.

"Ravenclaw-Gryffindor this weekend," Ron confirmed, giving her a brief glance, before continuing to speak to Harry over her head, "So, like I was saying, a triple feint might work, it's not a move we've used recently and their beaters have been weaker on that side so Ginny stands a good chance of getting through…"

The sports talk continued through lunch, sucking in the surrounding Gryffindors at the table until it was an animated all-out strategy debate involving most of the house. Hermione would usually have been bored and frustrated by the monopolisation of the meal by a topic she had no interested in but today she was happy to just tune it out and pretend to be listening. She had a lot to think about and didn't want anyone to notice that her mind was elsewhere.

One person did notice however… up at the staff table Professor Snape was covertly watching the red and gold table as he ate. It was obvious to him that Granger was very much on the periphery of the group despite sitting right in the middle. She sat slightly hunched over her plate, as though trying to make herself smaller and inconspicuous, nodding or making short comments when Weasley occasionally nudged her with his elbow for input or Potter leant across and spoke to her directly. Snape could guess from the hovering forks and excited gesticulations that the talk was quidditch which did explain her lack of interest, but not her isolation. What was most interesting was that no one paid it any attention, meaning that it wasn't unusual for Granger. Except he distinctly recalled her voice carrying up to the staff table on a regular basis before in animated conversation. He always tried to ignore anything from the Golden Trio on principle (Granger on her own in the potions lab didn't count, obviously - totally different entity to the _terrible three_) but it was sometimes rather amusing to eavesdrop on her berating the boys for their lack of completed homework or the myriad of other ways she fussed over them.

He frowned as he tried to recall when he'd last seen her actually joining in. It was a surprise to him to realise she had been withdrawn for pretty much the whole term. Ever since the Christmas holidays in fact… _'Yes, that's when it was.'_ He thought in contemplation. _'Before then she was the first to raise her hand as she always has been. Now though…'_ Snape's eyebrows rose in shock, _'I don't think she's volunteered an answer in my classes in over two weeks. She still knows her stuff - her essays are as long winded as ever, and she is ready with the answer whenever I call on her. What - or indeed who - is inhibiting her? And how on earth did I not notice this before?' _

The professor rose with the rest of the staff at the end of the meal, still deep in thought. Clearly there was more going on than he had originally suspected. '_I think it is time to do a little investigation of my own.'_


	3. Chapter Three

**A/N **Just a reminder this story is rated M and contains adult themes and language

* * *

><p>Wednesday morning saw the senior NEWT class lined up outside the DADA classroom for their lesson. It was a large group by NEWT standards and included all four houses, so there was a fair amount of good natured jostling and posturing going on while they waited. The ending of the war had lessened house rivalries to what they should have been all along - friendly competition. There was nothing like fighting for your life back to back with your classroom arch nemesis to put some perspective around house loyalty - a lesson the oldest students in the school knew only too well.<p>

Hermione and Ron stood at the back of the group behind Harry and Neville. They were both giggling at Harry and Neville who appeared to be in competition with Blaise Zabini and Theo Nott from Slytherin as to who could come up with the most creative insult. By the time the chime for the start of class was heard all of them were in fits of laughter at Theo's declaration that Harry had the 'face of a blast-ended skrewt, the brains of a flobberworm'. Ron squeezed Hermione's hand and pressed a quick chaste kiss on her cheek before they shuffled forward in preparation for class. She squeezed back before grinning at him fondly as she dropped his hand to go into the room. He had been lovely all morning, partnering with her in Herbology and carrying her book bag to DADA after the weightlessness charm failed. It was just like it always used to be between them, fun and easygoing.

The door swung open to show Snape standing behind his desk waiting and they all quickly entered the room in silence. They had three lessons a week now they were in their last year, and Professor Snape kept to a system of lecturing on Tuesdays, practicals on Wednesdays, then lab write-ups and essay submission in their final weekly class on a Friday. Wednesday classes had the desks and chairs pushed to the side of the room to allow for plenty of space in the middle for duelling and practicing hexes and shields.

Hermione joined the others in putting her bag and outer cloak on a desk at the side and coming back to a circle in the middle of the room with her wand ready. She took her place between Ron and Neville and flashed them both a quick smile while she waited for Snape to start the class. Their topic that week was advanced shielding charms and she was looking forward to it. Shielding was something Harry, Ron and she had worked hard on the previous year in preparation for the battle so Hermione was confident she knew her stuff, even if it had been a while since she'd cast some of the more complex charms.

With a lazy flick of his wand Professor Snape slammed the heavy classroom door shut. The students stood alert, watching him carefully. Snape's teaching persona had not changed since the end of the war and he was still as acerbic and quick tempered as ever. They knew through (sometimes painful) experience that it was not a good idea to let your guard down in his room as Snape was fond of silently hexing those not paying him enough attention before deducting vast numbers of points, regardless of house.

"Let us begin. We will be continuing with the shielding charms we discussed yesterday," Snape lectured. "As you are aware from the reading you _undoubtably_ completed for this class, shielding is about striking a careful balance between protecting yourself adequately without draining yourself unnecessarily. Now, who can tell me the correct shield to use if someone is directing a hex at you involving flames?" He looked around the room and spotted Ron elbowing Harry and whispering to him. "_Mister_ Weasley," Snape drawled, "I am sure you are able to share the answer to my question with the class? I hardly think one of the '_saviours of the wizarding world' _should need to confer about a simple shielding charm."

The look Ron shot him was one of pure loathing. He hadn't been paying attention and had no idea what the question was. Taking a guess he muttered sullenly, "_Protego Duo_, Sir."

Snape tapped a finger against his lips in mock contemplation before allowing his eyebrow to raise questioningly. "Well, Mister Weasley, I would ask you to demonstrate but I fear the stench of burnt flesh would linger in this room terribly." There was a smattering of suppressed laughter from across the room before Snape continued. "Miss Granger, perhaps you can enlighten your colleague?"

Hermione shot Ron an apologetic look as she answered, "The most appropriate shield against fire would be a Protego Maxima, Professor. It's strong enough to withstand attack by elementary forces, without being as draining to the caster as Protego Totalum."

Professor Snape merely nodded before continuing his lecture. Hermione stood tensely next to Ron, his anger at being belittled in front of the class almost palpable. _'If only he'd asked someone else rather than me,'_ she thought with a groan, _'Ron's going to hate that I answered the question correctly after he got it wrong. He's already had a go at me twice this week about showing off as he calls it. I don't know what he wants me to do - if a teacher asks me I'm not going to give the wrong answer on purpose.'_

All too soon it was time for them to practice. The class had been split into pairs and were working on sending non-harmful hexes and shielding using a variety of charms as the Professor stalked around the room assessing their efforts and offering criticism and advice. Hermione and Ron had been partnered and were working through the shields in order of difficulty. To Hermione's relief Ron appeared to have moved on from the earlier slight and was casting shields with confidence. So confidently in fact, that the tripping jinx she sent to him rebounded back and hit Hermione head on. With a stifled "Eeep!" she fell to the side before being caught by the quick hands of Harry, who grabbed her as she toppled into a heap on the floor, bringing him down with her.

"Sorry Harry!" Hermione apologised with a smile as she struggled to disentangle herself from him, "That took me completely by surprise!" Eventually they were both upright and free, giggling slightly from the effort.

Snape observed the fall from the back of the classroom where he had positioned himself a couple of moments before adding a nudge to Hermione's jinx so the rebound would hit her. He wanted to see the dynamics of the group when under mild threat. _'Granger is relaxed and unconcerned,_' he noted silently, _'clearly physical contact with Mr Potter isn't an issue for her..._' He watched as she righted herself and brushed off her robes, still smiling, then turn to face Weasley. Almost instantly the smile vanished and she straightened up, looking apologetic.

The Professor looked to Ron Weasley, and saw a flash of jealousy and fury on his face before he composed it into a condescending smirk at the antics of his friends. '…_But it appears to be an issue with Mr Weasley. He clearly has negligible control over his temper.'_

Shelving Miss Granger's issues for the moment, Severus called for the pairs to swap offensive and defensive positions and continued his class. Now he had a better idea of who was involved he'd be able to corner Granger about it in their brewing session and get some answers.

-o0o-

When class ended Hermione stayed for a moment to check a point on their latest DADA essay with the Professor. She was the last to leave and the corridor looked to be deserted as she strode off quickly, putting her essay notes back into her bag as she went. She wasn't expecting to be roughly pushed up against the wall once she was out of hearing of the Defence room and Hermione barely suppressed a yell as she realised who it was.

"What was that about? Do you think I didn't see you throwing yourself at Harry again? Whore." He hissed, the anger colouring his voice.

He had pinned her against the castle wall by her wrists, trapping her against him.

"Ron!" She whispered urgently, keen to avoid raising her voice and attracting attention to them whilst trying desperately to get herself free from his grip. "Please stop saying such things, you know that it's not true. I didn't do anything with Harry - he's my friend, nothing more. Anyway it was an accident - you were there, you saw it. The whole class saw it, in fact. I keep telling you… I don't want him, or any of the other boys. I love _you._"

Ron sneered in disgust, ignoring her words of reassurance. "As if he'd want you anyway, slut. As if anyone could want _you_. It's a good job you have brains and can bore men into submission with all your facts because you certainly aren't going to attract anyone the way you look. I've seen famine victims with better figures than you've got." He looked her up and down in disgust, "You know, you are lucky I bother with you - you should be more grateful to me." At this he tightened his hold on her wrists and ground his hips into hers obscenely, grinning when she cringed and went limp against the wall. He didn't care if it was fear, it felt good to get a reaction. "If you want to stay my girlfriend you are going to make sure Harry doesn't touch you. If I see you acting like a slut again I'll make you regret it."

"Please…." Hermione implored, no longer struggling in the hope it would make him let go sooner. "I'm sorry."

"And whilst we are having this little _discussion_, I thought I told you not to be such a suck-up?" Ron banged her wrists against the wall again - hard. "You couldn't resist answering Snape could you? Couldn't resist making me look bad? Well I hope you're happy now. Was it worth it?"

Hermione looked up at him, tears welling in her eyes. There was nothing she could say, nothing she could do to stop this irrational outburst. She'd tried so hard the past few weeks to avoid angering him and it had all gone wrong thanks to the last lesson. She knew Ron wasn't thinking straight and kept telling herself that what he said wasn't true, but the seeds of doubt had been sown and Hermione could feel her self confidence chip away further with every hurtful comment he made. He knew so well those things she was most self conscious about and that struck deep in her heart. After all, this was _Ron_ - the boy she'd loved since the first year and one of her two best friends. He understood her better than anyone, and if this was how he saw her then she thought there must be some truth in it.

Abruptly Ron released her and looked her up and down with a look of concern, his hand stroking her cheek tenderly. "You've got to stop winding me up like this love…You always get so upset… Look at you now - you're a mess 'Mione. Not that anyone would notice given how you usually dress but I guess you'd better go tidy yourself up. Do try not to end up in the infirmary again either - brightest witch of her age and you can't even manage a simple healing spell," he added in what was clearly suppose to be a joking tone but which came out twisted and mocking. "If only you wouldn't upset me so - you know how I get when you provoke me. I can't help it if you get hurt. You know I love you…"

He gathered her in his arms and hushed her and stroked her back as she sobbed against his chest, incapable of doing more than nodding in agreement. "Come on now 'Mione, dry your eyes. It will all be fine if you just do as I've said and stop with the games. Now, I've got to go to my next class. You should get moving too, you wouldn't want Snape to see you out here like this, would you?"

Hermione shuddered and stepped back away from him as she tried to gather herself together. "_Professor_ Snape, Ron," she managed after blowing her nose.

Ron had already walked off down the corridor leaving Hermione leaning against the wall, shaken. "Yeah, whatever…" came his parting shot as he turned the corner.

Once she was sure he was truly gone she pulled herself up and started to try and tidy her clothing and hair. She touched her left wrist gingerly and winced at the bruising already evident. Having only had them fixed a couple of days previously from when Ron last got angry at her, her wrists were especially tender. With a sigh she got her wand out and cast the appropriate spells to mask the bruising until she could get back to her room and sort them out properly.

Wiping away her tears with her sleeve she took a deep breath and visibly composed herself before picking up her book bag and walking away as though nothing had happened.

-o0o-

From the shadows Severus Snape watched her go, his fists clenched in impotent fury. Merlin's teeth! What a mess. He wanted nothing more than to find Ronald Weasley and hex him into a bloody pulp. But that wasn't going to help Granger in the long term as he had no doubt that Weasley would come back apparently contrite but meaner and angrier underneath, and it was very likely that the girl would take him back and the cycle would start again. Especially given how he'd turned at the last minute with the mock concern and false promises of love - '_manipulative little bastard' _ he thought angrily.

The only way to solve it would be if Granger left Weasley and asked for help. She was no longer a child and ultimately it was her decision. If she did Severus knew he, along with the other professors of Hogwarts, could support her and ensure her safety. Until then his hands were tied.

He stalked back to his classroom deep in thought about how best to approach it with the girl. Originally Severus had planned to simply corner her in their lab session and force her to admit what had been going on, but that was when he thought it was more of a one-off. Now though he was sure the abuse had been going on for some time and was clearly emotional as well as physical. He knew that Granger was an exceptionally strong witch with a vast number of offensive and defensive spells at her fingertips. She clearly chose not to deploy them against Weasley even though he was harming her, so the behaviour had become deep-seated for them both. It had no doubt escalated over time from some relatively harmless, if unpleasant, bickering into the dangerous situation it was now.

The Professor knew his first task would be to get Granger to admit there was something wrong, and that she needed help. This would require more tact than he was used to using, but it was essential for her to take that important first step without being forced into it. His classroom door shut with an absent minded wave of his hand and he sat down at his desk at the front of the room looking out unseeingly over the empty chairs and tables. _'Something blunt - she's a gryffindor after all…'_ he thought, _'but_ _non threatening, or she's likely to withdraw into herself even further.'_ He sighed. As much as he detested _sharing_ it seemed the best solution would be to tell her a little about his own background in the hopes she would be able to see some parallels with her own situation. '_After all domestic abuse is something I know about in regrettably intimate detail,'_ thought Severus wryly, remembering the endemic violence that had marred his childhood.

With that decided he stood and walked back to open the door and usher in his next class. The details would have to wait until later, but at least Severus had a plan.


	4. Chapter Four

To Hermione's relief the quidditch team had a practice scheduled that evening so she only had to make it through dinner with the boys before she would be free. She sat on the end of the table next to Ron and tried not to let it show how isolated and miserable she felt with him in a snit with her because of the DADA lesson. He ignored her all through the meal and blocked anyone else from talking to her simply by interrupting and dominating any conversation near them.

'_The day had started so well,'_ she thought back gloomily, recalling the fun they had all had before the lesson, goofing around in the corridor. She picked listlessly at the food on her plate and tried to stop replaying the conversation with Ron in her mind. It seemed Ron knew all the things she was most self-conscious about and brought them up deliberately. It was true she was still thin - too thin really. He'd joked to Harry just the previous week that touching her was unpleasantly like groping a pre-pubescent boy thanks to her lack of womanly curves. Hermione had been left humiliated when Harry had thoughtlessly laughed along.

The year on the run had stripped all reserves both she and the boys had physically. Too many missed meals and too much stress had left her underweight and with little appetite even now, in marked contrast to Harry and Ron who approached meals with gusto and who had quickly bounced back to their usual weight without effort. For Hermione food was yet another battle to conquer at present, especially with Ron watching every mouthful and making comments when her plates went back nearly untouched. She longed for the day when she would be able to look at a meal as a pleasure rather than a mission to fuel her body with essential nutrients.

Still, it was Wednesday night and she had the evening in front of her to relax in the common room and get ahead with some of her classwork. Maybe even play a game of exploding snap or gobstones, depending on who was around. With this in mind she gritted her teeth when the puddings appeared on the table and took a portion of stewed fruit and custard, determined to manage at least a couple of spoonfuls under Ron's watchful eyes even though she didn't really care for desserts.

Finally it was six o'clock and the team left en masse for the quidditch field. Hermione could feel herself relaxing once the door to the Great Hall banged behind them and she pushed away her bowl with relief. The strained atmosphere between herself and Ron felt so obvious to her that she was amazed no one commented. '_Don't know why I'm surprised,' _she told herself, mentally rolling her eyes, _'it's not as if teenage boys are known for their emotional insight.'_

It was days like this that she rued her lack of female friends to turn to. The closest thing she had was Ginny, who was as wilfully blind as the boys when it came to difficult conversations; and Luna. Luna was lovely but they weren't really intimate enough for Hermione to confide in her. She did sometimes wish she could talk to Harry about her and Ron, but she knew he was so enjoying this final year without Voldemort trying to kill him - a chance to be a normal boy who worries about quidditch and girls - and Hermione hated the thought of ruining it with her petty relationship woes. Besides, Ron was his best friend… Hermione knew she was secretly afraid Harry might take Ron's side and then she'd be really alone… '_No, better to pretend everything is fine in front of Harry if he asks...'_

Hermione joined the rest of her year group when they left the hall for the common room and, as she had hoped, had a lovely evening in the cheerful surroundings. Curled up in her favourite battered armchair by the fire, Hermione managed to not only do a final review on a couple of essays but also have a long and interesting chat with Neville about his herbology project and a game or two of snap with a group of younger students.

Hermione left just before the quidditch team were due back. She puttered around her room for a little while before putting another layer of bruise-healing salve on her arms where Ron had grabbed her earlier. It made her pause for a moment in sadness but she refused to let it get her down after the fun evening she'd had. _'Today has been such a rollercoaster with its ups and downs. Tomorrow will be different,' _she told herself as she crawled into bed, snuggling down under the thick blankets, '_I'll do everything right, and Ron will be sweet like he was this morning and always used to be, and I'll remember why I love him so much.'_ With those hopeful thoughts swirling around her head she was soon asleep.

-o0o-

Of course, the best laid schemes of mice and men often go awry, and Hermione's goal of a perfectly happy Thursday were not to be.

Ron came down to breakfast in a foul mood having fallen off his broom at practice the night before, and snapped at Hermione for merely wishing him a good morning. Hermione knew all too well when to pick her battles these days and chose to stay out of his way as much as possible and spent the day holed up in the library when not in class. Luckily Thursdays for her were Potions, Arithmancy and Ancient Runes so Hermione only had to work with him in Potions. Professor Slughorn chose to lecture that day rather than have them make anything, which saved Hermione further as all she had to do was promise Ron a copy of her notes after the class and he was happy to leave her be.

All through the day Hermione looked to the evening with a mixture of pleasure and trepidation. It would be her first brewing session since Professor Snape had sent her to the infirmary and she knew he would have difficult questions for her. But the weekly sessions were a lifeline to her - a chance to be stretched intellectually and a respite from the monotony of classes and the common room - so she wasn't going to give it up, not unless the Professor made it impossible to continue.

Seven o'clock saw her knocking on the door of Snape's private lab in the dungeons. It was her turn to choose a potion for them to create and she had one she'd been saving for a special occasion. Hermione had found a wonderfully obscure potions book in a second hand bookstore a couple of years previously for mere sickles. Most of the potions were hopelessly out of date, hence the price tag. However there was one which showed promise that she was eager to test. It was supposedly a version of a truth serum - she assumed a predecessor to veritaserum. The ingredients were simple enough but the brewing instructions sparse so their challenge would be to experiment with the other elements to get a working result.

The door opened and a voice from the store cupboard at the back called out "Enter, Miss Granger."

Hermione slipped in, closing the door behind her, and looked around with interest. As usual there were a couple of cauldrons already in use and Hermione used the time while the Professor was out of the room to have a quick peek in each before scurrying over to her designated bench to get out her notes.

-o0o-

The first time she had been granted entry into Snape's private lab she had frozen in the doorway with her mouth gaping in complete awe. Unlike the classroom with its utilitarian wooden benches and standard-grade equipment, the lab had everything a Potions Master could desire - shelves stuffed with ancient tomes and the latest journals and all kinds of interesting-looking instruments; sleek marble, wooden, steel and granite bench tops; carefully stacked cauldrons of every imaginable size and metal; delicate blown glass vials and bottles; and, best of all, a store cupboard filled to the brim with every conceivable potions ingredient - all prepared to his exacting specifications and arranged with military precision.

As she had stood in the doorway open-mouthed Hermione had thought she had never seen anything more beautiful in her life - even the Hogwarts library paled in comparison.

-o0o-

"What exciting new potion have you brought for us to attempt this evening?" Professor Snape interrupted her reverie as he exited the store room and went to the sink to wash his hands. As was his custom in the lab he had removed his teaching robes and tied his hair back with a leather thong at the nape of his neck. With a wave of his wand the sleeves of his frock coat and shirt were magically unfastened and pinned back to his elbows as he scrubbed as thoroughly as a surgeon about to enter the operating theatre.

This was another thing Hermione had been fascinated with the first time she had brewed with Professor Snape outside of the classroom environment. He had explained the dangers of contamination and how it was standard practice in a commercial brewing laboratory to prepare in such a way. That he bothered to do so for her weekly brewing experiments was another sign of respect and one she treasured and was quick to follow herself. She had her hair neatly plaited and wore close-fitting sleeves to avoid any fabric falling into the liquids, or catching in the flames. She joined him at the sink and washed her hands thoroughly.

As they washed she explained about the truth serum and her thought process on how she wanted to approach reproducing it. Snape listened carefully and asked a couple of pertinent questions to encourage Hermione to think in a way he knew instinctively would be more productive than her original plan.

"Have you considered the effect of the fluxweed on the porcupine quills?" He asked as he read through the recipe back at her bench.

Hermione chewed the end of her quill, deep in thought, "I thought a counter clockwise stir every four minutes… but that would detract from the lacewing infusion… perhaps a half turn every two…?" She scribbled some arithmancy calculations on a piece of parchment. "No… that will just compound the error…"

"Which cauldron were you planning to use Granger?" Professor Snape hinted, wanting her to think it through logically herself and come to the right answer.

"Well I was going to use a medium-weight iron… Oh! Of course!" Her eyes lit up and she grinned up at her stern Professor, "If I use copper instead it will complement the porcupine quills and inhibit the uptake of the fluxweed. It's obvious now I think about it."

"Let's try that first then shall we, Miss Granger?" A merest hint of a softening of his eyes showed her that she had got it correct. She practically glowed with his approval and raced off to get the cauldron and ingredients. Soon her bench was set up ready to brew.

-o0o-

The next two hours passed in a pleasant mix of potion creation and discussion on improvements. All too quickly their time was up and Snape indicated that the current batch would have to be their last. None of their iterations had produced a viable truth serum but the point of the session as always was to learn and experiment. Hermione felt she had made a significant leap in her understanding of how the cauldron material intrinsically affected the outcome of a potion. She could already see the implications with the common potions and how some could be made more potent or longer lasting simply by brewing in a different cauldron.

Snape put the bottles of ingredients back in the cupboard before wiping down the bench as Miss Granger cleared away the equipment. By the time she had the cauldron gleaming and back on the shelf in its rightful place, Severus had called to the kitchens for a tea tray and was sitting in the back of the lab waiting for her to join him. In the corner by the bookshelf he had furnished a study area with a couple of soft chairs, a small table and a fireplace - perfect for their needs.

Severus indicated for her to sit then poured them both tea and waited for her to start their traditional debrief. He could see that she was feeling flushed with success and her eyes were bright as she eagerly engaged him in a spirited discussion on the evening's work. He quizzed her as she talked on what she had learnt and added snippets of information that he knew would help compound her understanding and encourage her to seek further examples. _'Not that Granger needs much prodding to research. She'd sleep in the library if Pince let her,'_ he thought with amusement, although he kept his expression stern as always.

As she talked he assessed her emotional state. Half a lifetime as a spy had honed his ability to read the minutia of body language. He had no need to use legilimency - all indicators showed her to be relaxed and receptive. He steeled himself, knowing full well her good mood was about to evaporate and it would be his fault. In a lull in the conversation he refilled their teacups and took a breath in anticipation.

"Miss Granger," Snape started, his voice soft and controlled, "I trust you are aware that I cannot and will not ignore the events of the other evening."

Hermione looked up and met his gaze, her expression troubled. "No Sir," she replied, her voice hardly trembling at all.

'_Good girl,'_ he thought approvingly, _'Stay strong. It will help even if you are faking it. You are going to need it.' _Out loud he laid out his case, "Granger, you and I both know the injuries I found you with the other evening were not from trapping your hand in a door, or from tripping and falling down the stairs."

She immediately crossed her arms protectively. Her Professor sighed, disappointed that she was so quickly guarded.

Hermione tried to stall him. "I don't know what you mean, Sir."

Snape's eyes narrowed and hie allowed some of his irritation to colour his voice, "I'm not one of your idiot friends, Granger, so kindly avoid treating me as such. They might not see what is going on in front of their faces but it is plain to anyone with half a brain."

As far as she could see she had two choices - confess, or brazen through it. "And what is that, Professor?" Maybe she could get away with explaining her state as an accident, perhaps a prank gone wrong or an over-enthusiastic game in the common room?

Snape picked up his cup and took a sip of tea as he sought to control the urge to snap at the girl. He wanted to get her to talk to him, to confide in him. Getting annoyed with her would not help. "Perhaps this would go better if I told you a story?" he mused.

His voice was silky soft and measured but Hermione could almost feel the inky blackness coiling under the surface of his words. Snape was a man of many contradictions, and she never forgot he had a dark side. She nodded, not trusting herself to speak without giving herself away.

"First a question. I doubt Potter kept his mouth shut about the memories I shared with him. How much are you aware of my childhood?"

He was grateful to see her initial expression was puzzled - thank Merlin for Gryffindor's and their inability to do anything but wear their hearts on their sleeves. "Harry said you grew up in the same area as his mum, and that you were friends as children. Other than that, only what he…er…" Hermione cast around for a delicate way to say 'blurted out in front of Voldemort and the entirety of both armies in the heat of battle when we thought you were dead.' "Um. Only what has since become public knowledge." She ended diplomatically with a wince.

"Yes, well, let's skip over that shall we?" He said quickly. Snape knew he had given Potter the memories for all the right reasons but that didn't mean he liked being reminded of the boy's inability to hold his tongue about Lily Evans. "I grew up in Cokeworth, near Manchester. It is an old Mill Town… Typical of the area; industrial, high poverty, low employment, run down. I'm sure you get the idea."

"Yes Sir, I think so."

"My mother was a witch, my father a muggle who worked at the mill. He was a typical working class man. He worked a physically demanding job six days a week and then drank away his wages on a saturday night with his workmates. Women were good for putting dinner on the table and minding the babby." He had slipped almost unconsciously into the lancastrian accent of his childhood. "My Ma, she was a bright spark in a grey and miserable world when she met him and she adored him. They were happy for some years I think, until the drinking got out of hand and she dared to speak out.

"Men back then… well, men back _there _then, they didn't sit round the table with the family and talk out their differences. The man's place was at the head of the household and what he said went, no question. If you talked back to your parents, you got a wallop. Same went for wives."

Hermione could see where this was going and she looked down miserably, waiting for her Professor to continue his story. He abruptly put his cup down and began to pace in front of the bookshelf, behind the chair where she sat.

"So, like I said, my Ma, she was a witch, and a strong one too. A pureblood from the noble Prince line. She gave up her family and her wizarding life to be with him, not that he appreciated it. I never did understand it when I was growing up," he mused, lost in the memories, "She had all this power, all this magic and she never once used it to defend herself or retaliate. Just let him berate her and wear her down until she was as grey and transparent as the rest of that godforsaken town…" He trailed off, suddenly aware he was sharing more than he had intended to.

When Severus spoke again he was back to his usual clipped tone, the blurred consonants of his childhood accent gone. "It was clear when I returned from Hogwarts each year in the holidays that things had degenerated. At first it was when he returned from the pub on a Saturday and she would say it was just because he'd had too much to drink. Then it was when he came home from work during the week, and she'd say he'd just had a hard day. Then when the mill closed and he was home all day she would say it was just because he was frustrated with the lack of work, until the day came when I was sixteen where he was a little too free with his fists for a final time and put her in her grave."

Hermione gaped at the cold way her Professor described how his mother had died. She didn't know what to say. "Professor…" she started looking down at her lap, "I'm… sorry."

He fixed her with his black eyes. "Do you understand what I am saying or do you need me to spell it out? You are on a slippery slope and you need to make a decision before it is out of your hands. I can't make it for you, but I can assure you that I will support you, as will the rest of the faculty."

"Madam Pomfrey said much the same thing." Hermione admitted.

"Well then, you know what you need to do."

To her surprise, he stopped behind her chair and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder in a comforting gesture. She unconsciously leaned into it, grateful for the support.

"Miss Granger, I do not wish to see you in the infirmary again, nor do I want to see evidence of rough treatment about your person. I saw what he did to you after your Defence class yesterday… surely you can see he is escalating?"

She gasped and looked around at him in horror. "You heard him? I swear, I never, I'm not-" she fumbled, devastated that her much respected professor had heard Ron's nasty words.

"Stop that now!" Snape interrupted her, "I have no doubt that every word that spewed from Weasley's mouth was a vindictive lie. I need no excuses or apologies for his vitriol."

With a sob, Hermione buried her face in her hands and silently shook with tears. Snape wordlessly passed her his handkerchief, sat back down in his chair and waited.

She dashed away the tears from her cheeks. "Merlin, I'm supposedly the brightest witch of our age. I faced an army of Death Eaters and Voldemort himself. I refused to give in when tortured by Bellatrix for hours! How is it _Ron Weasley_ can leave me in such a state?"

Snape sighed. "Because."

She laughed shakily, then lapsed into silence.

"I love him, you know?"

The professor nodded.

"No, I really do," she protested.

"I don't doubt it," he confirmed.

"It's just… what with Fred and the horcruxes… It's been a difficult couple of years for Ron. I know he doesn't mean it, its just I always seem to do the wrong thing around him which starts him off. But I know he loves me too."

Snape raised an eloquent eyebrow and Hermione winced in acknowledgement of the poor excuse. There was hardly a person within the castle who hadn't had a 'difficult' couple of years, and many had lost far more than the Weasley's. They sat in uncomfortable silence until Snape sighed and looked at the clock.

"Miss Granger, it is close to curfew and I have rounds to make. I'll walk you back to your room." He stood and with a small inclination of his head took his leave of her to ready himself.

Hermione blew her nose one last time then took a deep breath before collected her robes and bag. She had a lot to think about, and a difficult choice to make.

* * *

><p><strong>AN** - thanks for reading so far… Just a reminder that I love reviews! Writing is so much more fun with audience participation!


	5. Chapter Five

Hermione did her best to avoid everyone on Friday. She attended class but did so silently, only answering when called upon. Snape took one look at her in Defence and left her to work alone, not even attempting to catch her eye, much to her relief. Breakfast and lunch were spent with a book in front of her in order to excuse her lack of attention and she convinced the house-elves to allow her to sit in the kitchens with them at dinner rather than facing everyone in the Great Hall. She purposefully avoided thinking about her talk with Professor Snape, Ron or her future.

-o0o-

Saturday morning dawned bright and crisp. Pulling on trainers and a sweater, Hermione left her room early to go for a run around the lake. When she got to the castle door she put her headphones on, set her running playlist to shuffle and headed out with the volume up high.

She ran just above a comfortable pace around the edge of the forbidden forest, forcing herself to focus on the steady beat of the music, her feet and her breathing to the exclusion of everything else. Finally her mind was empty except for the hypnotic action of running and she relaxed into the exercise. Thirty minutes later Hermione was pleasantly buzzed from the endorphins and back in tune with the world around her. Easing her speed back down to a gentle jog she headed to the lake.

Now she could think.

'_This has to stop,'_ thought Hermione, as she jogged around the lake, waving at the giant squid as she passed it. '_That both Professor Snape and Madam Pomfrey know of our issues show that it's no longer something I can hide. Ron has to change his ways or I have to leave him… the Professor was right, it is escalating and I really don't want to find out where it might end. But I'm not sure I want to give up on him.'_

'_Do I still love him?' _Hermione pondered during her shower, combing conditioner through her hair, _'Big question. I think I do… I'd do almost anything for him, he's still the only boy I think about. Well, other than silly fantasies about inappropriate men, but everyone has those! It's not like I'm going to act on them. Ron, he's my future. I can see us in ten or fifteen years, married with two children, standing on the platform at King's Cross waving to them on the Hogwarts Express. I know he loves me too - he says so. He just loses control sometimes.' _

'_Can I control him?' _In the Room of Requirement, drinking tea and absentmindedly doodling on a piece of parchment. _'If I'd asked myself that a week ago then I would probably have said no, but today I think that yes, actually I can. Or, more importantly, I can help him control himself. I have been passive, avoiding conflict and refusing to defend myself but I could change that and stop him myself. I know he says I provoke him and make him lose his temper, but really, some of it has to be his responsibility. I need to set things straight with Ron and tell him I won't be accepting that excuse any longer.' _

'_Do I still want him?'_ Sitting at dinner, her hand in her pocket touching the handkerchief Professor Snape had loaned her the previous night. She had yet to give it back. It smelt faintly of him - a hint of herbs and cauldron flames coupled with a mix of warm wood and spicy bergamot - and it gave her strength, reminding her of his unexpected words of encouragement. _'It's so difficult to think about this objectively. I've wanted Ron for years, watched him mess around with Lavender and moon over the Veelas while I waited in the shadows. But now he's mine, faults and all. If I give that up, give up on him, what would I have? What would I do? I can't imagine a world where Ron and I aren't together. So I guess the answer is yes, even as things stand right now, I want him. I'm sure the boy I fell in love with is in there, and together we can make this work.'_

'_Do I trust him?' _Sitting in the common room with a book on her lap, watching Harry and Ron goofing around and laughing at each other's antics. '_There was a time when we trusted each other with our lives, where that question would have left me bemused because how could I possibly not trust him? Things change and I need to be honest with myself about this. Do I trust Ron to care for me and treat me with the respect and care that I deserve? I don't know. If I commit to this I'm going to have to make myself trust him, and he's going to have to be more worthy of that trust. There is no point in taking half-measures.' _

'_Could we repair that trust? Does he trust me?_ Cleaning her teeth in her pyjamas, looking at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. _'After all these things work both ways. That one is easier…If we both work at it I have no reason to think we can't start again. And I'd like to think he can trust me, or that he would at least tell me if he didn't so I could make changes. We've both done wrong here - he isn't the only one to blame. So, given time, I want to believe we can have our old relationship back.'_

'_What do I do now to make this right?' _As she lay in bed, wide awake, staring at the cracks in the ceiling above her bed. _'First off, I need to talk to Ron. Somewhere neutral, and where he can't lose his temper with me. Tomorrow, maybe I'll get him to come and do some target practice in the Room of Requirement with me. He's always better with something to focus his excess emotions on. Then we can start afresh. This will work, it had to work. I still love him, and I'm sure he loves me. I don't want to give up on him.'_

Her last thought before sleep took her, still clutching Snape's hanky like a toddler with a comforter; '_I hope this is the right choice. I don't want my Professor to be disappointed in me.'_

* * *

><p><strong>AN** - ok so iPods weren't launched until 2001 and I have no idea if you could shuffle playlists in the first ones, but trying to make up a magical equivalent was far too much effort for something that we are all familiar with today. Anyway, I think I'll just pretend half of apple are secretly wizards so the magical world got them two years before us poor muggles.


	6. Chapter Six

Hermione waited until the end of the Defence class on Tuesday to speak to Professor Snape. When everyone else had left she approached his desk.

"Do you have five minutes Sir? I'd like a quick word about our discussion the other night."

Snape raised an eyebrow in query, but stood up readily enough and ushered Hermione into his office and to the chair in front of his desk.

"So you and Mr Weasley have come to an agreement then? Do I need to run another diagnostic charm on you before we begin?" He asked in his usual dryly sarcastic tone.

Hermione laughed shakily in response. Not quite the bold Gryffindor she was aiming for, but she felt that under the circumstances any kind of laugh was a win. It had been a difficult few days and she was feeling worn down by all the stress and strain.

"Yes Sir, we have. And no Sir, I don't need any healing. Well, to tell you the truth, I talked to him while he was busy hexing attack dummies in the Room of Requirement so he didn't have enough energy to do anything more than listen until I'd finished."

"And what, Miss Granger, did you tell him?" Snape drawled, '_Usually making a Gryffindor shut up is the issue… getting details from her today is like getting blood from a stone.'_

"I told him that things had to change and I wasn't going to put up with his threats and nasty language any more," she told him proudly.

"Well done, Granger, and how did he take it?"

"Well," she continued, in a slightly less positive voice, but still determinedly chipper, "At first he denied everything. Then after a lengthy discussion… I say discussion but it was more of an argument about who was to blame for what really, we both agreed to make some changes and start afresh."

Severus' heart sank. This wasn't what he had expected as an outcome. He knew full well that Miss Granger might have been committed to making a change but for Weasley it would be lip service at best and quickly forgotten when anger or jealousy next flared. He couldn't help but think Hermione - _Miss Granger_ - was in a worse position than before.

"And this is the outcome you desired?" he asked, careful to keep his tone even and without emotion.

"Oh, yes Sir," she replied with a smile, "I'm sure it was just a phase and things will be better now it's all out in the open. I don't think he realised how much it was upsetting me. Ron himself admitted he'd been a bit harsh with me, and that he'd let his temper get the better of him. He's agreed to make an effort to find a better outlet, and to tone down his language around me."

'_No sign of acknowledgement that the outbursts of disgusting filth were at all incorrect I'm sure, just an agreement he'll use nicer words next time' _Severus sneered inside his head, finding it all too easy to read between the lines of what Miss Granger was saying to the real meaning underneath. '_Despite everything she's been through these past few years she's still an innocent child, wanting to believe the best in her friends. I do admire that about her, and her loyalty - no matter how misplaced it is right now. How she's managed it I don't know, but I'll be damned if Weasley destroys that for her. Not that it's any of my business, of course.'_

Hermione was already standing and picking up her book bag. "Anyway Professor, I'm sure you don't want to know the ins and outs of your students' lives. I just thought I'd let you know how much I appreciated you talking to me the other evening, and the support you offered."

Snape stood automatically and went to open the door for her when he stopped and closed it again, already mentally kicking himself for what he was about to say, knowing that he was allowing himself to remain embroiled in her issues even after she had given him a perfect 'out'. Turning to face her he said "Miss Granger, I know you think everything is now fine but I want to be clear before you leave this room. If something happens, if you need help, you call for me. It doesn't matter when it is, just send your patronus."

There was a silent pause. Professor Snape suddenly looked uncharacteristically uneasy, "I hope I do not overstep any boundaries by making this offer to you?" He asked stiffly, clearly uncomfortable.

Hermione frowned in bemusement, "I'm sorry Sir?"

"It's just… Usually this kind of thing would be dealt with in-house. I know I'm not your Head of House but everyone knows you and Trelawney don't get on, and I assumed that if you had wanted to talk to Minerva directly you would have done so as I'm sure you have no problems accessing the Headmistress' office. As a fellow Order member perhaps, I hope my assistance is not unwelcome. We all know you are an exceptionally strong witch so I'm certain if you actually defended yourself you could handle whatever Weasley might throw at you, should he slip back into old habits, but everyone needs to know they have backup."

"Oh, no, Professor," Hermione rushed to reassure him, being so bold as to place her hand lightly on his be-robed arm, "I appreciate it very much. I don't know what I would have done these past few days without your help and advice."

He groaned internally at her looking at him with big innocent brown eyes. '_She's so young and such a special witch, she deserves better than this, better than him. Wish she would listen. I was telling the truth when I mentioned her magical strength - if only she'd use that and fight back. Best I can do is be there to pick up the pieces when this all goes wrong, and it will do. I'm sure of that, at least. Merlin, I wish I could get her to see sense.'_

Externally he merely nodded and drew himself up to his full height before opening the door again for her and ushering her out. He had done nearly everything he could for now - it was time to inform Minerva McGonagall.

-o0o-

The Headmistress was at her desk surrounded by piles of parchment when Severus knocked. She looked up and smiled and beckoned him into the room, "Severus! What brings you here? Not that I'm not pleased to see you… although to be honest I'd be pleased to see a herd of Miss Lovegood's mythical crumple-horned snorkacks right now if it meant a distraction from this blasted paperwork. How on earth did you manage this on top of everything else last year?"

Severus smirked, "Yes, well, being Headmaster under the Dark Lord did have one small benefit - the ministry worked on a 'don't ask - don't tell' theory of plausible deniability so managed to conveniently forget to request the bulk of it."

It had been a long hard road to get to the point where he could comment on his tenure as Headmaster without the guilt of the disaster that year had been crippling him. To be able to make a joke about it had been completely unthinkable some months ago - but the forgiving stance both faculty and students had taken had allowed time to heal the wounds. He had gratefully resigned the second he'd ascertained that Minerva had survived the final battle, more than happy that someone else take that mantle. _'One day, when the time is right, I'll get another opportunity and have the chance to do the job properly,'_ he'd reassured himself.

Minerva smiled and put the papers to one side. "Please, sit down. Well, as pleasant as it is to see you outside of meals and staff meetings for once, what can I do for you? I know you didn't make the journey just to watch me tear my hair out over school administration."

Severus pulled up a chair and sat facing the desk, his expression serious now. "It's about your cubs." He said without preamble. "What do you know about the relationship between Weasley and Miss Granger?"

She frowned in thought, "Not a huge amount I admit, despite staffroom gossip. What have they done?"

"_They_ haven't done anything. I caught Weasley behaving rather obnoxiously towards Miss Granger after their Defence class the other day. Plus she was in the infirmary earlier this week with what might have been defensive injuries. I've spoken to her and she has assured me it has now been resolved." He didn't want to tell her everything he knew as Minerva's warrior tendencies would undoubtedly surface and she would go blundering into battle without thought of the consequences. To Severus the situation required a more Slytherin approach at this time. After all, Granger had insisted she had it under control and was happy with the current state. He didn't want her to think he'd betrayed her trust and taken it out of her hands. She was an adult and deserved to be treated as such, even if he thought she was wrong.

McGonagall looked at him sharply, a calculating expression on her face. "Severus, what aren't you telling me? Do I need to get Mr Weasley in here and bang some sense into him?"

"Not yet," he replied smoothly, "It is under control. I merely wish for you to be aware that there is tension between them, and that Miss Granger is in a potentially vulnerable position. There is an unpleasant inequality in their relationship at present. Although perhaps an outlet for his…anger… could be found?"

The headmistress visibly slumped in her chair. "I was afraid of this. Not them specifically, but for all of our returning final year students. They had to grow up so fast, and under such difficult circumstances. They were to all intents and purposes soldiers on the frontline, then suddenly the war was won and we expected them to put down their arms and go back to the classroom and be good children who compete for house points and worry about their homework. How could that possibly be enough? I don't think there is a single one of them who wasn't changed by the war, and not for the better either."

"What else could we do?" He asked softly, "We had to give them this chance to be children again, no matter how challenging it is for both them and us."

"Oh, I know." She paused, deep in thought, "You know, the muggles consider the use of child soldiers so despicable it is called a war crime. Some days, when things are particularly hard, I wonder how we managed to justify so many bad things for the sake of the Light and the 'greater good'."

"Again, what else could we do? Once the Dark Lord had his sights on Hogwarts and Potter there was no choice for any of us."

The headmistress looked old and tired for a moment, weighed down with the knowledge of the heavy price the current generation of the wizarding world had paid to rid itself of Voldemort.

"I tried to get the ministry to approve counselling for the students but they felt there wasn't the need - that they were young enough to simply shrug off the horrors of the war without assistance. Not that there are exactly a plethora of psychologists and counsellors available for me to hire, even if I could have managed to squeeze the school budget enough to fund it. No such thing as shell-shock or PTSD for us magical folk."

He nodded in agreement, "Yes, I never understood why mental healing is such a taboo for wizards. Muggles have far fewer qualms about recognising such issues. Not that any of the students could see a muggle shrink… far too many secrecy issues unfortunately."

"There is so little understanding, and virtually no support. I know we all do what we can here to listen and mentor the students where possible, but I worry it isn't anywhere near enough…

"But we shouldn't dwell on the past," she said briskly, gathering herself together again, "There is enough to worry about with the world around us now to need to go looking for things we can't change. We will all muddle through as best we can."

Severus stood. "Indeed," he agreed, making his way to the office door and back to the spiral staircase down.

"I'll keep an eye on Miss Granger and Mr Weasley, and I'll ask Rolanda to get Mr Wealsey involved in her quidditch practice groups for the younger pupils. That would keep him busy and burn up some excess energy. The responsibility would be good for him too." Minerva confirmed, already reaching for the next piece of parchment in the pile, "And Severus…"

He paused in the doorway, eyebrow raised in query.

"Thank you. I appreciate you watching over my _cubs_, as you call them."

He waved away the thanks as he descended the stairs. He didn't need thanking. He would be much happier if there was nothing happening for him to watch over, but failing that he would do his best, as he always did, to protect the school and all the pupils within it.


	7. Chapter Seven

Severus continued to keep watch for trouble between the Gryffindors but it had either stopped or all parties had become exemplary at hiding it. He grudgingly admitted that the Headmistress's idea to get Weasley assisting with the quidditch coaching had been an excellent one and all signs were that he was doing well with it. He carefully and surreptitiously inspected Granger every week in their brewing sessions, looking out for signs of injuries or suspicious glamours, but there appeared to be nothing. He even resorted to Gryffindor tactics one week and asked her outright. She breezily told him that everything was fine and that Ron was back to his old self. He couldn't help but think she protested too much, but there wasn't much he could do.

She continued to be unnaturally quiet in lessons and he noticed the same at meals in the Great Hall but he merely called on her more frequently than usual in Defence - it was clear she was still an over-achieving know-it-all who read extensively around every topic they covered in class even if she wasn't showing it off.

As the days grew longer and the weather warmer a sleepy lassitude fell over the castle and its inhabitants. It even infected the DADA classroom and for once in his life, Severus felt inclined to also slacken off a little. After all, the war was over and his classes were almost universally over-qualified for whichever exam they were sitting. Nothing beats first hand experience of fighting against dark wizards when it comes to Defence exam preparation after all.

However there came a point when he knew he would have to shake things up a bit to get the students thinking again and out of the mid-term slump they were all in before revision for the end of year exams started in earnest. The school year was long and they were all weary, especially his senior NEWT class. As such he went to the Headmistress with a proposal. She was pleasantly surprised - it was very out of character for him - but quickly agreed and enlisted the help of the rest of the staff to put his plan into action.

-o0o-

Hermione was one of the last to arrive at the lesson on the Friday. She wasn't really concentrating on what was going on around her, her mind still working through a particularly complex arithmancy problem from the lesson before. However, even she noticed the unusual buzz of chatter when she got to the Defence classroom.

"What's going on?" She asked Harry as she reached into her bag for her text book and notes from the Wednesday practical.

"It's Snape!" Harry said excitedly, catching her attention immediately. She looked up and saw the flash of anticipation in his eyes.

"_Professor _Snape, Harry. Go on… Where is he anyway?" she prompted.

"Look at the board," Harry directed, "he's left instructions. Basically, he's organised a competition for Saturday night for us and the staff. The blackboard says he'll give an extra 10% to the winning team's end of year classwork scores."

Hermione's eyes widened - that was a huge advantage to have when it came to the NEWT scores, not that she needed it. "What do we have to do?" She asked, already making her way to the front of the class where a gaggle of her fellow students were standing around the classroom board and talking excitedly.

* * *

><p><em>NEWTs Students<em>

_The school has created an opportunity for a practical demonstration of your Defence skills in the form of a competition this Saturday night. The staff and DADA NEWTs students will have the opportunity to participate in an exercise in the Forbidden Forest from dusk until daybreak on sunday, comprising of small teams battling against each other to win markers from the opposing teams. The team who gets the most will win, and will receive a significant boost to their classwork element of their NEWT with an additional 10% added to their current marks. _

_Those of you who wish to participate should add their name to the list on my desk. The teams will be picked at random comprising of a mix of staff and students, as one of the elements we will be testing will be your ability to work in a group outside of your usual social circle. You will receive an owl at breakfast tomorrow advising you of your team. Further instructions and the rules of engagement will also be provided. _

_I suggest you use this lesson time to brush up on your offensive and defensive spells. Your essays on 'ten lesser-known characteristics of Vampires' is also due today - I expect a neat pile of scrolls on the edge of my desk. _

_Prof. S. Snape_

* * *

><p>Hermione turned to face Harry and beamed. "Wow! This sounds brilliant!" She exclaimed.<p>

"I know," Ron joined in, having been part of the group already at the board, "Can't believe old Snapey is going to let us have a proper fight. Don't know about you two but it's been ages since I felt I really stretched myself."

"Yeah, the attack dummies in the Room of Requirement are fine for basic practice," Harry commiserated, "But they get monotonous after a while. Besides, it's been ages since I've had a good yomp in the woods."

Hermione winced at this, thinking back to the many weeks they had spent camping in woodland the previous year, "Harry, I thought you said if you never saw another tree again it would be too soon after last year."

"Oh yeah," he grinned sheepishly, "Forgot about that. Well, Hogwarts doesn't count."

Both Ron and Hermione laughed and like the rest of the class they added their names to the list before sitting down at their usual desks to discuss what they thought the competition might be and to float some initial tactics before getting out books to compare attack spells.

-o0o-

Severus stood in his office hidden behind the door looking at his class in satisfaction. Usually such chatter in his classroom would be met with stern rebuking and a loss of house points but today he was pleased to hear it. It had been weeks since he'd seen even half the animation on their faces that they had now, and he knew word of this exercise would quickly spread and soon the whole school would be involved.

He'd sternly told Minerva that the whole thing was an academic exercise to ensure their wand work was honed and there was no rustiness before NEWT examinations, but they both knew it was a flimsy excuse at best. The real reason was because they all needed a challenge - something to fire their imaginations before their brains stagnated. Besides, bored children were disruptive children. Far better to have an organised outlet for all that energy.

He was pleased with his idea and how the rest of the staff had quickly got on board with almost as much excitement as the students. Hagrid had offered to be adjudicator as he knew the forest better than anyone, with Poppy Pomfrey on the sidelines in case of injuries. Severus himself had initially demurred being involved but had quickly been shouted down by the rest of the staff and unanimously voted as another participant on the basis that they all wanted to see if they could beat the DADA professor at his own game (not that the staff were _at all_ competitive… nor had any money changed hands on the predicted outcome… much). Slughorn and Trewlawney had both begged off competing and had offered to stand guard over the castle in their absence along with the castle ghosts and the prefects, so the stage was set. He and Slughorn had completed the other preparations without any of the students noticing. All he had to do now was arrange for the teams to be selected and pass the lists to the owls to send out.

Even he was starting to feel the anticipation rising. It had been a while, after all, since he'd had a chance to participate in friendly competition rather than it being life or death.

-o0o-

The next morning at breakfast the whole school watched with baited breath for the arrival of the mail. Sure enough, halfway through the meal the hall went silent as a veritable parliament of owls swooped in and approached the final year students and the staff table.

Hermione offered the Tawny in front of her a slice of bacon from the platter in front of her before removing the scroll, the boys next to her doing much the same.

Unrolling it, a small spheroid object about the size of a marble dropped out onto her plate. She looked at Ron and Harry and they each had one too. Interestingly they were all clear glass balls filled with different colours - hers purple, Harry's red and Ron's green. She rolled it between her fingers and watched the brightly coloured liquid inside swirl around and frowned. It reminded her of something but she couldn't quite place what it was. Putting it down for a moment she finished unrolling the scroll and quickly read it. It appeared to be a standard form with the personal details added by hand for each person.

* * *

><p>Dear <em>Miss Granger<em>

You have been selected as a member of team: _Iris_

Your fellow team members are: _Susan Bones, Filius Flitwick_

Instructions are as follows-

There will be eight teams of three - each composing of a member of staff and two DADA students.

Each team will be provided with a marker representative of their team name, and a set number of coloured pods as per the enclosed.

The marker will be charmed to attach itself to one of your team members. In order to 'win' the marker of an opposing team you must hit it directly with a targeted _expugno_ charm three times within a minute, at which point it will automatically attach itself to you.

Your aim is to defend your marker and any your team has won whilst at the same time getting as many markers from other teams as possible - the team with the most markers at the end of the night will win.

Wands will be charmed so the only attacking spells able to be used will be stunners. These will send pod to target - allowing a visible notification of 'hit'.

If marked by an attack from another team you will be unable to cast an attack spell for 20 seconds. You can however continue to defend and move around the forest.

All defensive shields are allowed. However please note this exercise is due to finish at daybreak on Sunday so continuous shielding will not be possible and alternative means of defence will be required. All defence _must_ be wand based - invisbility cloaks, broomsticks, animagus transfigurations, etc are banned.

A targeted _Expugno_ charm will need to hit the marker three times in order to capture it - any broad spectrum charms will fail to register as a 'hit'.

All other offensive spells will be blocked.

In addition-

* * *

><p>Before she could read any further she was interrupted by Ron.<p>

"'Mione, what team are you on?"

"Iris, you?"

"Venomous Tentacula. Harry?"

"I'm in Papaver somniferum, whatever that means."

"That's poppy, Harry," Hermione explained. "It must have something to do with the coloured globes they have given us - they correspond to the team names I think. See - yours is red Harry and you are in team Poppy."

"That makes sense, although I have no idea what these are, do you?"

Hermione was about to admit she didn't know either when a yell from Ron caught their attention.

"Dammit! It broke!" He exclaimed, looking down at his hand which was now stained with the green liquid from inside the sphere, the outside of which had melted away without a trace. "It's like dye or something." He muttered as he tried unsuccessfully to wipe it off with a napkin.

Suddenly something clicked for Hermione and she grabbed her scroll again to re-read the instructions, hoping to confirm her suspicions. "Oh!" She looked up to the staff table at Professor Snape, who was looking around serenely. Catching his eye she grinned widely, knowing exactly where he had got the idea from. He gave her the merest hint of a nod in acknowledgement.

"Boys," she whispered furtively, "I know what the competition is… I never would have guessed it from Professor Snape but I suppose he _is_ a half blood… it's a wizarding version of paintball!"


	8. Chapter Eight

Hermione crept through the trees, alert and watching out for the other participants. She was on a reconnaissance mission for her team to find the blue team's marker. They had been spotted nearby and as the most stealthy of the purple team, Hermione had been volunteered to go look. Although not much of a guerrilla fighter Professor Flitwick was definitely living up to his title of charms Professor and was worth his diminutive weight in gold in terms of the little edges he'd given them. Not only had he charmed each of them to give them vision in the dark (a bit like wearing muggle night-vision goggles Hermione thought) but he had also managed to do a very sneaky charm on their marker, replicating it visually above Susan Bones, although in reality it was connected to the Charms Professor. Their plan had been for Susan (as the weakest member of their group) to act as a decoy while Flitwick hid with their marker and took sniper shots at anyone who attempted to attack Susan, and Hermione hunted for additional markers to add to their haul. So far they were up by one - stolen from the yellow team after a fierce battle which left them all covered in paint - and had no serious threat to their own marker, but the night was far from being over.

Hermione, despite her instinctive reservations about being hunted in the woods _again_, was enjoying herself. The night sky was clear and the air fresh with a hint of warmth. For the first time in weeks she felt truly alive, away from the monotony of classwork and the library and her focus felt razor-sharp as she crept through the trees. Besides, it was nice to put some of her hard-earned skills to the test. As good a teacher as Professor Snape was, the Defence classroom could never match up to the challenge of a real fight, albeit one using coloured paint rather than unforgivable hexes.

Spotting a flash of a paint splatter on the back of a student Hermione edged closer and was pleased to see she'd found the base for the purple team - the marker was hovering behind Theo Nott who crouched in a bush talking to the team-mate that Hermione had followed. To her surprise there were actually two markers floating over his head… they must have captured one from another team. Double the potential prize! However, this was the Headmistress's team and Hermione was being extra careful as she knew full well that McGonagall was a formidable fighter and was no doubt close by. She silently backed up a couple of metres, made her way to a large tree and began to climb. She knew that half the teams wouldn't even think to look up, leaving her free to observe and plan her attack in relative safety.

-o0o-

It was with some amusement that, not ten minutes later, she observed Professor Snape creep along almost exactly the same route as she had taken to the blue's base, pause in absolute stillness for a minute or two until she thought she'd lost him completely in the inky darkness and then back away to lean against her tree. For a moment she trained her wand on him and was lost in a delicious daydream about pelting him with her paint pellets from head to toe, just to see the look on his face. Alas though, she had a limited supply of ammunition and her Professor didn't have a marker or seem about to attack so she decided to hold off and save her pods, although the thought still made her smile.

Now she was in a quandary. If she left him alone and kept hidden she wouldn't be attacked, but she also ran the risk of losing her prey to him, or to another team, if she delayed. But what other choice did she have? She had no illusions about outwitting the man on her own.

With her heart in her mouth she cast the strongest shield she could around herself before leaning down slightly and whispering "Pssst, Professor Snape."

If she hadn't witnessed it with her own eyes she would never have believed the fearsome ex-Death Eater could jump so high when surprised. However to his credit his wand was pointing directly at her with a paint pod exploding harmlessly on her shield before she'd managed to giggle.

"Merlin's beard, Granger!" he hissed, "What do you think you are doing?"

"Trying to get your attention Sir. I was thinking that perhaps we might work together, Professor? Rather than fight over the same prizes."

He looked around quickly for danger before climbing up the tree with a sleek agility until he was sat on a branch opposite Hermione, his wand lazily trained on her. "And why, Miss Granger, would I do that?" he asked silkily, his voice rich with danger, "When I could simply hex you then take both markers on my own?"

She shivered deliciously, enjoying seeing the dark side of the wizard come to the fore, and reinforced her shield just in case. "I was thinking Sir, that firstly it would be easier with the two of us… and secondly that if you stop me from attacking I could quite easily cause enough disruption that you won't get a chance either." She flashed him a toothy grin, knowing full well she was pushing it, but enjoying the relaxing of boundaries that seemed to come from being out in the woods alone.

He sneered at her and she tried to look innocent but just ended up looking smug. They both knew it was a sensible idea and they both stood more of a chance of winning if they worked together.

"Alright," he said, "You're on. Although you'll follow my plan, no improvising. And if we only capture one marker then all bets are off."

She nodded eagerly - she had expected as much.

"Ok then, here's what we'll do…"

-o0o-

The plan was simple but brilliant, Hermione thought as she crawled behind her Professor to the edge of the blue's camp, and very Slytherin. It worked on the basis that no-one can resist the lure of a loud noise and a damsel in distress. There had been a fierce, if silent, argument in the tree between them over why Hermione had to be the damsel and not Snape, but as he pointed out there was a good chance if it was him that students would run away in fear or hex him rather than give him a hand, no matter how innocent and harmless he looked. Hermione had grudgingly conceded the point, although she wasn't impressed.

It wasn't long before they were both in position standing behind trees a couple of metres behind the camp.

"Ready?" He whispered across to her.

"Yes, whenever you are."

"On three…" He held up a hand and counted on his fingers for her to see. On three he used his wand to send up a loud bang and some rainbow coloured sparks. Hermione gave a theatrical scream and crumpled in to a heap on the floor with a hand over her head as though she had swooned.

"Don't give up your day job," Snape whispered snidely as he looked down at her on the floor in her artful pose.

Hermione opened her eyes, stuck her tongue out at him and muttered something under her breath about 'didn't even want to be the stupid damsel, like to see you do better' before quickly closing her eyes again and getting back into character. She could hear him sniggering as he melted back into the trees and allowed herself a tiny smile before composing herself.

As expected it didn't take long for the blue team to give in to their curiosity and come investigate. McGonagall and Theo were both leaning over her calling her name while she pretended to be out cold. She simply had to wait for the last member of their team to come over…

A low voice called for Theo and he called back: "Over here!"

"What's going on?"

"It's Hermione," Theo whispered, "She seems to have fainted or something. What should we do Headmistress?"

Hermione heard footsteps and opened her eyes a crack, grateful for the darkness to hide the slight movement in. Yes, there were now three heads leaning over her. She could just see the markers over Theo's head, then they disappeared one after another as her partner in crime sent the _Expugno _charm at each one three times while they were busy looking at her. Now for a distraction so they could both get away… She affected a moan, allowing her body to move and coincidentally lining her hidden wand up with the Headmistress. All three instinctively leaned in closer in order to see if she was waking up…

Hermione took a breath, mentally crossed her fingers, and silently cast a series of stunners at the three of them, showering them in paint as she sprang up and sprinted away into the trees, leaving them spluttering and shouting in her wake as they realised it had been a trap and they were now marker-less.

-o0o-

Climbing the tree earlier had been such a success that Snape and Hermione had agreed a similar meeting place for sharing the spoils of their little adventure. In the confusion following the attack the purples quickly lost sight of the girl and Hermione made her way there without being tracked. She shimmied up a branch before looking around for the Professor.

Just as she was debating swinging down again to have a look around, a foot appeared in front of her face from higher up in the tree.

"Sir, is that you?" She whispered, as soundlessly as possible.

"Would else would it be?" He whispered back. "Coming up?"

She looked around for a way up but the branches were too far apart for her to reach. "I'll need a hand," She called up quietly, "I'm too short - I can't reach."

With a backing track of sarcastic comments about 'little girls' Snape reached down an arm and with a strong grip quickly helped her up to his level. She couldn't help but notice how less restrained the Professor was out here - he seemed to be a different person to the fearsome teacher he was usually. She rather liked it.

"Don't complain too much, if I was any heavier you'd never have got me up here."

"Miss Granger, you are a mere whisp of a girl - you could weigh twice what you do now and I'd still have no problems lifting you. Now, do you want this marker or not?"

She grinned, "Yes please, Sir. And can I say, excellent plan Sir!"

He rewarded her with a smirk and the merest hint of a genuine smile. "It did go rather well, didn't it. Now, I'm sure we both need to get back to our teams. Can I suggest in the spirit of mutual cooperation we give each other five minutes grace when we leave?"

"Sounds good to me," she said, knowing full well that she was no match for the former Death Eater and would undoubtedly lose both her new marker and the rest of her team's unless they agreed. Really he was doing her a big favour by suggesting it as he was in a much stronger position.

"Ok, I'll go down first then help you down." Snape confirmed as he looped through the branches back to the forest floor. Hermione followed easily, until the last branch where she caught her foot and fell out of the tree with a muffled shriek. Luckily for her, the Professor was underneath and he caught her easily, although the momentum caused both of them to land in a heap, her at the bottom. His instincts kicked in automatically as he shielded her with his body on the forest floor. For a moment he lay absolutely still as he listened out for anyone coming to investigate the noise she had made falling. Then, without moving a muscle, he focussed his attention on a spot in the trees where a small rustle, like a branch being disturbed, had been heard.

Hermione was under her Professor on the ground. The fall had knocked the breath out of her and she felt slightly dizzy from bumping her head on the ground when she landed. He had her hands pinned under his to keep her still as he covered her, protecting her from oncoming danger. At first she lay there winded and unable to move. She could feel her pulse racing from the adrenalin of the fall followed by the danger of being caught. Gradually her breath came back and she became aware of the heat radiating from his body and his lean muscles pressing into her joints from the hands above her head to her feet. Absently she thought she should be scared, or trying to push him off. If it had been Ron holding her like this she would have been terrified of what he'd do next. Instead she went completely limp and looked up at him in fascination at his absolute focus, and waited.

Snape was still searching for threats. Then he imperceptibly relaxed as he decided there was no one there, and glanced down at her. Their gazes caught and Hermione felt her heart stutter to a stop, then race at twice the speed it had been before as she realised the position they were in. His face was mere inches from hers and all that focus in those dark expressive eyes was now on her. Time slowed as they unconsciously breathed in sync, and she was hyperaware of every inch of their bodies pressed together. She shifted her hips slightly and watched with fascination as the Professor's eyes rolled in his head slightly at the sensation. This was no longer her sexless teacher, but a man - a dangerous, alpha male at that - and every feminine atom in her body was singing out in lust and need and mindless _want_. She leant forward, licking her lips unconsciously as she glanced at his mouth. She could feel him leaning closer to her too.

Breath in.

Breath out.

'_Oh my god! Oh my god!' _she whispered in her head, _'I'm going to kiss him!' _Her eyes drifted shut and her mouth opened slightly in anticipation…

… A bang and a warrior-like battle cry floated through the trees from some distance away, breaking the moment. With a start, Severus rolled off her, got to his feet then held out a hand to assist her to standing.

"Miss Granger," he said formally, "I believe this is where we part."

Hermione was still trying to get her head around what had almost happened and it took her a moment to answer. "Sorry Sir, yes, we should go. Good luck for the rest of the competition."

"And to you." And with a formal bow of his head he melted back into the tree line.

Hermione swayed as she stood, trying to make sense of what had just happened. It had felt like forever but could only have lasted a few seconds in reality. She took a breath, almost absently acknowledging his scent clinging to her, then walked away, deep in thought. '_Wow!_' she thought, _'That was… interesting!' _

-o0o-

She was greeted with much jubilation when she rejoined Susan and Professor Flitwick with the spoils of her labours. Three markers set them in excellent stead to win the competition. Alas, a heated battle near dawn with the yellow team out for revenge, and the red team who happened upon them accidentally (Harry and Hermione taking great pleasure in staging their own mini battle at that stage and covering each other in paint), lost them two of the three markers.

At dawn when they all met up at the edge of the lake it was with some surprise that the astronomy Professor, Aurura Sinistra, had headed up the winning team with four markers. There was much grumbling from all the other teams but Neville and Pansy who made up the rest of the winning team were ecstatic and the other students grudgingly congratulated them. Apparently their winning technique had involved complex star charts to calculate the most defensible position in the forest for their home base, and pure luck when it came to winning markers from the other teams. All in all it had been an excellent evening, the Gryffindors agreed as they headed back to the school and warm beds, and much more fun than any other Defence assignment, even if they didn't all get to share in the extra points.

Hermione had spotted Professor Snape as they walked back to the castle in a clump of students but he appeared to be deliberately refusing to catch her eye. She wasn't concerned - it had been an exhilarating night and she was looking forward to her bed. There would be time enough to dissect the strange occurrences at a later point, '_preferably after a big mug of tea and a sleep,'_ she thought with satisfaction.

-o0o-

Two weeks after the competition Severus was sitting in his office ploughing through his marking. The school had finally moved on to other topics, much to everyone's relief. It had proved to be the perfect event to give the older students a chance to blow off some excess energy and reinvigorate their studies coming into exam season. In fact, it was so successful that there was talk in the staffroom of making it a yearly event for the final year students and staff. As reigning champion, Aurura Sinistra was particularly vocal about this idea.

Severus had looked upon all the fuss with his usual supercilious manner, but he was privately pleased with events. It had been a risk, after all, to have battle-scarred children and teachers chasing around the forbidden forest, even putting aside his own past as a Death Eater and the connotations of that.

He'd just got to the end of one pile (second year essays on the properties of runespoor eggs) and was about to tackle some very dubious looking scrolls from his Hufflepuff/Ravenclaw fourth years when a silvery mist appeared in his office. It was clearly supposed to be a patronus, although he couldn't discern it's form. He waited to see if it would become more corporeal or start speaking but nothing happened and it simply dissolved. Mentally shrugging his shoulders he went back to his marking - there was no way of knowing who had sent the messenger so he saw no reason to worry about it.

Halfway through the third scroll, and a particularly vitriolic comment in red ink on the benefits of using a dictionary, he was interrupted again by a patronus. This time though the shape was clear, as was the voice it spoke with.

The little otter swam in a slow circle around him and in Hermione's voice whispered, "Professor, I need you, please… Help me..."

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN**__ - sorry all for the delay in getting this chapter out. I've reached the end of my pre-written chapters now (although the story is fully planned) so I'm dropping down to a weekly update cycle. This one's late because my little girl has been poorly, and writing fiction is near impossible with a sad baby needing cuddles all the time!_

_Thanks all those who review, especially those who take the time to tell me what they think of every chapter - I really love reading your thoughts (even when you clearly want to shake Hermione for getting herself in such a mess) and I hope you are all enjoying the story._


	9. Chapter Nine

_The little otter swam in a slow circle around him and in Hermione's voice whispered, "Professor, I need you, please… Help me…"_

"Fuck!"

Severus ran to the fire. With a dash of floo powder into the flames he was instantly in his private chambers accioing his emergency potions kit. Without waiting he strode towards the door, swearing under his breath as he went. He pounded up the stairs back towards the main school until he got to the corridor where he had a decision to make - where to look for her first? Left towards the Gryffindor tower, or right towards the Main hall and library? Unfortunately Miss Granger's patronus hadn't provided him with a location. He cursed again and whipped out his wand and cast the patronus spell himself. His doe stood meekly in front of him and he spoke softly to it,

"Find Miss Granger for me, and tell her I'm on my way. If she can manage it, she should send her otter with directions to where she is. Stay with her if possible… I fear she is hurt."

The doe pranced in midair to show her understanding before leaping off… straight through the wall in front. Severus allowed himself a small grimace, _'that was spectacularly unhelpful… I had hoped it would at least give me a direction to start in.'_ Metaphorically tossing a coin, he made a decision and headed left towards the tower at a fast clip.

Unfortunately for him the hallways were empty. He reached the fat lady portrait without meeting a single soul.

"Madam, I need to find Miss Granger. Is she within?" He enquired formally, trying not to sound like he'd been running.

The portrait shook her head, "No, Professor, she's not been through here since this morning."

"Dammit!" He thumped the wall next to the portrait and she shrieked in fear. Then, taking a breath to calm himself, he said, "My apologies Madam, I did not mean to alarm you. If you should see her, or Mr Weasley could you inform the bloody Baron for me - it's rather urgent I speak with her."

The fat lady looked slightly bemused but agreed readily, even as he began walking away from the tower hurriedly.

-o0o-

Knowing Miss Granger as he did, his next stop was the library. Rather than wasting time looking for her, he merely collared the first Gryffindor he found within, working on one of the desks near the front.

"You there!"

The boy in the Gryffindor tie flinched and looked up.

"Yes Sir?" the poor third year boy said, wondering what on earth he'd done to incur the wrath of Snape.

"Miss Granger, have you seen her?"

"Um, yes Sir, she was here until about twenty minutes ago when Ron - Uh, I mean Ron Weasley Sir - came and got her. I think he said something about the Charms classroom?"

Severus didn't bother to reply, merely strode back out of the library without a second glance and headed along to the Charms room, further along the same stretch of the castle.

He wrenched open the door to the classroom and stormed in… but it was empty. Growling in frustration, he leaned against the doorway and muttered under his breath, "Where the fuck are you, Granger? There are endless nooks and crannies in this damn place - I'll never find you in time at this rate."

Luckily for him, as he exited he saw her Otter patronus heading for him. Taking a left out of the classroom he met it in the hallway. This time it didn't even attempt to swim or dance as it usually did, just hovered in front of him as her voice whispered directions to an abandoned classroom nearby.

-o0o-

This time he entered more circumspectly, knowing that she was within. The room was dimly lit by a few candles, flickering in the breeze caused by the open door, making it hard to recognise the shapes within. The first thing he noticed was Ron Weasley, slumped over a desk, clearly stunned, his trousers around his ankles. Looking around frantically for her, he eventually spotted something human-shaped in the corner of the room.

There she was, tucked up against the walls with the ghost of his patronus stood nuzzling her protectively. Battered, bloody, curled up into as tight a ball as she could manage, clothing torn with her shoes and tights missing, but with her wand out defensively in front of her and a fierce look on her face. He was instantly reminded that she was an experienced warrior who had faced down Voldemort and hadn't hesitated to kill during the Final Battle. Bruised and bloody she might be, but she had clearly fought back and was going to keep defending herself. _"Good girl,' _he whispered to himself in his mind, dismissing his patronus as he entered. When she saw him striding towards her however she visibly crumpled, dropping her wand and winding both arms protectively around her legs as her head dropped. It was as if his appearance had caused all her strength to vanish and suddenly she was back to being a scared schoolgirl as she began to sob.

"Oh Professor, thank you, I'm so sorry for disturbing you," she managed to get out between tears.

"Shhh," he soothed, crouching down next to her, "Don't worry about that. Now, where are you hurt?"

"He…" she faltered, "Oh, Professor, I stunned him! I'm so sorry! Its just… I kept saying no, and he kept on at me, even when I pushed him away, and he said I had to, that I'd led him on, and I just wanted to get out and then I hit my head on the desk when I tried to leave and he pulled me back and it dazed me and when I came round he was casting a binding spell and I-"

He cut her off her stream of conscious ramblings with a sharp "Miss Granger, focus!" - aware that she was close to becoming hysterical. "Never mind about him, we can sort that later. Where are you hurt?"

As always, Hermione Granger listened to her teacher and did her best to follow instructions. She took the hanky he offered her and wiped her eyes and blew her nose, then took a deep breath, and expelled it noisily. "I hit my head Sir and I'm a bit woozy so I might have concussion. I don't know what else. I… struggled and he hit me and… he kicked me in my middle when I disarmed him and my stomach hurts."

Snape looked around. Sure enough, Weasley's wand was a couple of metres away from him on the floor. "Anything else that needs urgent attention, Miss Granger? Are you able to move?"

Her lip wobbled and her eyes welled up with tears again. "I don't know Sir, it's just, everything aches." She noted absently even as she tried not to burst into tears again that even though her stomach hurt and she felt dizzy and sick it was the small things that bothered her the most - all she could think about was how awful she must look with the swollen cheek and bloodied lip she knew she'd got when she tried to get away from Ron.

He reached a hand out and touched her shoulder, offering what little comfort he could while she tried valiantly to get herself back under control, sniffing into his hanky. When she was quiet again he handed her a general healing potion from his kit along with a calming draught. She took each without comment, handing him back the empty phials.

Snape waited for a minute for the draughts to kick in. When she looked noticeably calmer he spoke to her gently, "We need to leave here and get you to the infirmary. Do you think you can walk with my help?"

She nodded, "I'll try."

Carefully he handed Hermione her wand and helped her up, averting his eyes when he realised her shirt was ripped and her underwear showing. Noticing, she blushed and pulled the edges of the shirt together, trying to hide herself.

"Would you like me to fix that, Miss Granger?"

She looked up at him shyly, "Yes please Sir, I don't think I'm quite up to casting any charms right now."

With a formal nod he raised his wand and silently cast the spell, knitting the torn edges back together and preserving her modesty. He looked down at her shoes, scattered across the floor, and debated trying to help her to put them back on. Giving it up as too difficult right then, he simply charmed her feet to resist the cold so she would be able to walk on the flagstones barefoot.

With his help she limped to the doorway, where she hesitated. "What about Ron, Professor?"

Severus growled under his breath. If he had his way the youngest of the Weasley boys would find himself in front of the Wizengamot with a sentence in Azkaban on the cards. It was that or give in to the darkness of his Death Eater past and all the ways he could make the boy disappear forever. However he assumed Miss Granger had more immediate concerns. With a swish and flick of his wand he ensured the boy would stay unconscious until renervated. "I'll ward the door when we leave, Miss Granger," he explained, "And I'll send the Headmistress down to collect him once we have you safely in the infirmary."

She slumped against him again, this time in relief. Once in the corridor he carefully propped her up on the wall next to the classroom while he turned back and set a series of complex wards on the doorway, prohibiting anyone but himself or Minerva from entering or exiting the room.

He was just finishing the last movement when she spoke, her voice woozy, "Uh, Professor, I don't feel so good…" and as he grabbed her she fainted dead away. With another muttered "fuck" under his breath for good measure he swept her into his arms and stalked off towards the infirmary.

-o0o-

Hermione woke to find herself lying on top of the crisp white sheets of a bed in the hospital wing, listening to the murmur of a hushed conversation outside the curtain by her bed. For a blissful moment she wondered absently why she was there, before it all flooded back and she closed her eyes again in remembered pain. She had been so scared - Ron had gone too far and she'd had no choice but to fight back and stop him.

A soft chiming noise above her bed alerted the mediwitch that she was awake. Poppy pulled the curtain back and bustled over in her usual manner, instantly relaxing Hermione with her no-nonsense approach. There would be no difficult questions here just yet, merely fact finding and treatment.

"Good to see you awake again Miss Granger," Madam Pomfrey greeted her.

Hermione smiled in response, albeit tremulously.

"I've got some potions for you to take, now you can confirm what happened. Most of the surface damage I was able to identify myself and treat with bruise-salve and suchlike. You'll be stiff and sore for a couple of days but they will soon heal. Now, we know about the concussion - that's this green one dear -" she said, handing Hermione the phials as she explained, "and there was a spot of internal bleeding from the kick to your stomach - the red one and a blood replenishing potion will sort that out in no time. However, Professor Snape said you might have injuries of a more intimate nature. You had some bruising on your thighs but I didn't want to examine you further without your consent. If you were assaulted in that way, I _do_ need to know Miss Granger." She fixed the girl with a stern gaze, unwilling to let her stall or slide out of a straight answer on this.

Hermione shook her head, "No Madam, He didn't…" her voice cracked with a sob. She took a breath and tried again, "He… he tried to force me but I stopped him in time, I don't need an exam." She looked down at her bed, her cheeks flushed with shame.

To her surprise she was pulled into a hug by the usually rigid Matron, "Oh, my dear, I'm so sorry you had to go through that. And so glad you managed to stop him. Now, don't cry, it's over now, and we will make sure that everything is sorted out." She squeezed Hermione's shoulders again before letting go and stepping away from the bed. "You just sit here and I'll bring you a nice cup of tea and some biscuits to help those potions go down before you go to sleep, and you see if things don't look better." She said reassuringly.

In no time at all Hermione was sipping on a steaming hot mug of tea with a plate of chocolate biscuits at her side. She was surprised to discover that not only did she feel better than she had done in weeks, if not months, even with her injuries, but that she even had a slight appetite and managed a couple of the biscuits. It was as if a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders. No longer did she have to pretend that everything was fine and that she could handle Ron's temper. Now it was out of her hands.

There were just two more things she was dreading - where was Ron now, and how on earth was she going to tell Harry?

-o0o-

Unfortunately, an answer to her first question came within minutes when she heard the infirmary door open, more quiet conversation, and then the swift arrival of the mediwitch in her cubicle to close the curtains.

"Just you stay here, dear," she instructed as she bustled around straightening sheets and pulling the curtains, "I have to warn you Mr Weasley is coming in now to have his injuries seen to. He won't be staying though and the Headmistress will be with him at all times so don't fear that he will come bothering you. We'll just keep this curtain shut and he won't even know you are here."

Hermione's heart sank, but she nodded gamely. The last thing she wanted was to see Ron and risk another violent confrontation. Madam Pomfrey left the cubicle and she drew her legs up to her chest again, hugging herself as she reassured herself that he couldn't see her.

Of course, this led to thoughts of the following day… and every day after that. How was she going to make it through the school year with him at the table with her, sharing classes and just about every waking minute? Hermione knew that Ron would never forgive her for stunning him that evening, and involving the teachers in their business. She also knew his vindictive streak would ensure that his version of events was publicised broadly and loudly, so she would end up looking like the villain of the piece. Chances were she'd be ostracised from the Gryffindor table.

After all, who would believe solitary bookwork Hermione Granger over the popular and well-liked quidditch keeper Ron Weasley?

'_Still, what's done is done,'_ she told herself, '_and I know full well I couldn't carry on as I have been. I managed to keep him under control for the last few weeks but it has been hard work and the sacrifices on my part were huge. Honestly, this was all going to implode sooner or later anyway. I don't think I had any energy left to continue.' _She sighed. '_Just wish I'd been able to get away before I had to involve Professor Snape.'_

Her thoughts skittered uneasily at the mention of her Professor. He'd been preying on her mind a lot recently, ever since the paint balling competition and _that moment_ in the forest. Since then she'd harboured lovely fantasies of meeting up with him post graduation and being suave and sophisticated and enticing him into some kind of visible, maybe even verbal, admiration of her. So different from her gauche school-girl self.

Instead, she felt she had yet again let herself down by having to call on him to rescue her yet again from a situation that, with hindsight, she could see was of her own making. If she had only left Ron when her Professor had found her the first time then none of this would have happened.

She was interrupted from her musing by voices coming from the doorway and then a bed across the room.

"The bitch knocked me out for no reason," Ron's voice, angry and loud, was clear to hear, "I don't know what her problem is. You should check her out, Madam Pomfrey - she's mental, she is."

"_Mister Weasley_" Headmistress McGonagall said sternly, "You will keep a civil tongue in your head or you will stop speaking. Frankly, given what you have to say and the position you are in, I suggest the latter."

"What?! I didn't do anything!" He replied in an injured tone, "She went for me, no provocation. I'm the victim here, not her. Just look at the way she scratched me!"

Hermione cringed, her heart sinking further. It was just as she had feared - Ron wasn't going to admit anything, just foist the blame onto her.

"Be quiet." The Headmistress hissed, "I don't think you realise how serious this is Mr Weasley. It has gone far beyond a 'lover's tiff' or whatever else you were about to suggest. In fact, you are very lucky I am not calling in the aurors immediately. It is only as a courtesy to Miss Granger that I have held off. For now." She ended ominously.

Hermione could hear Ron spluttering in shock and indignation at that, but mercifully he refrained from commenting further on the events of that evening. It didn't take long before Poppy was declaring him fit to leave, and McGonagall was escorting him from the hospital wing.

Silence.

She hovered on her bed indecisively. One part of her wanted to open the curtains, make sure he was really gone and find out from Poppy what was going to happen now; and the rest of her wanted to just curl up in the bed and shut her eyes and pretend none of it had happened until the morning. Luckily for her the choice was taken out of her hands by Poppy opening her curtain again.

"Now dear, don't you worry, he's been escorted back to him dormitory now, and he's under strict instructions to stay there until morning."

Hermione nodded in acknowledgement, wanting to smile but not feeling up to it.

"What's going to happen now?" She steeled herself to ask.

"Don't worry about that tonight. That's a conversation for the morning. In the meantime, I want you to take this dreamless sleep," - Poppy handed her the potion - "and get some rest. It will help you heal."

Hermione obediently took the potion and laid back on the bed. The mediwitch was right - there was time enough to worry about everything tomorrow.

-o0o-

Despite the potion, her sleep was disturbed by swirls of unease and worry, making her twist and turn in the bed. At one point she half woke, but the man in black sitting by her eased her back down. She drifted off again, unconsciously reassured, while he watched over her; her dark and brooding guardian angel.

* * *

><p><strong>AN** - Thanks for all the nice messages and reviews for the last chapter! As I warned, updates will be a touch more sporadic now, but I promise this story will be completed. Just 3 more chapters and the epilogue to go!


	10. Chapter Ten

The Potions Master spent the night in the infirmary, watching over the sleeping girl. He wasn't sure why he came back after his evening duties, or why he was still there as dawn approached. He knew full well she was safe in the hospital wing. Minerva would have spelled Weasley to silence and to remain within his bed with no way of exiting until she released him in the morning, as was standard protocol for internal incidents, and she had no other enemies at the school. However, he felt somehow personally responsible for Miss Granger - that since she'd asked him to help her, he should continue his guard of her person. '_Heaven knows why,'_ he thought wryly, '_it's not as if she is aware, or that she'd want me here if she knew.'_

He leaned back in his chair, steepling his hands under his chin as he contemplated the events of the evening. He'd heard from Poppy that Miss Granger had at least been spared the nastiness of a sexual assault, even though the physical injuries she had occurred were bad enough. He wanted to wake her and rant and rave - shake her and tell her how stupid she had been to let what was clearly an abusive relationship get to this stage. But he knew her well enough to know she would be blaming herself already and he would only ensure she felt even worse. She was the victim here, after all, and deserved support not condemnation. He remembered all too well how his mother had reacted when he had lost his temper and railed on her for letting his dad hurt her.

So no shouting. Just sympathy. '_Well, as much sympathy as I am capable of, anyway'_ he thought, knowing full well that visible concern for others wasn't his strong point. But what he lacked in expressive emotions, Severus knew he could show in other ways, like offering more lab time and opportunities for her to get away from her peer group. It wasn't long until the end of the year and he knew she was planning to head off to University rather than into Auror training with Potter and Weasley. She would soon be even more focused on learning and education, perhaps leaving childhood friendships behind too. Preparation for her next life phase was something he could definitely support her with in his own unobtrusive Slytherin way.

The ward was quiet and he found himself dozing gently in his chair as he contemplated the complexities of life. All too soon streaks of dawn were brightening the sky. He looked down at the bed and cast a critical eye over Hermione once again.

'_She looks tired and drawn, even now. Those bruises on her face are almost healed already which is good. But the shadows under her eyes say that sleep has been hard to find recently. No wonder really, given the stress she's been under.' _He flicked his gaze up and then slowly down critically, taking in all of her in the soft half-light of the ward._ 'Crazy hair - completely uncontrollable. Too thin, even by my standards. Pretty enough, although not exactly classically beautiful. A mere slip of a girl really, nothing to write home about. And yet…_

'_And yet. Those eyes of hers are so expressive. She's fiercely intelligent, brash, loyal, and her smile lights up the entire room.' _He groaned audibly. He wanted to protest that she was just another student, a colleague in the Order and nothing more. But here in the silence he couldn't do anything but admit to himself that he had a massive weakness for those kind of Gryffindor-ish traits, especially when packaged with an intellect that could rival his own.

"Face it, Severus," he grumbled to himself, "If you were twenty, or even ten years younger, you wouldn't hesitate to pursue her. She's just your type."

But Severus Snape didn't get to where he was in life by chasing after unrealistic dreams. He knew full well that although they had shared a 'moment' back in the woods and had built a cautious friendship over their evenings brewing, she would never look twice at him. '_Nor should she. Bright young thing like her is destined for bigger and better things than her old Defence Professor. Especially now she's finally kicked that idiot Weasley into touch. Surely she can't take him back after this?'_

He leaned back in his chair and looked around. The light coming through the windows indicated that he'd gone through the night and into the morning. Poppy would be returning soon to take command of her ward and its occupants. He could almost feel the castle itself creaking and waking under the early morning sun.

Severus stood and stretched. '_Enough of the poetry and the adoring gazes, old man,'_ he lectured himself, '_Time to go. A new day starts, and with it everything will change. She'll need your friendship even more than ever in the days ahead.'_

With one last look at the sleeping girl he stalked out, his expression carefully schooled as always.

* * *

><p><strong>AN** - short, but important! Will be back to the normal chapter length next time...


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